Wildlife protected areas rising from 981 in 2020 to 1,134 in 2025: Kirti Vardhan Singh

New Delhi: India’s protected area network has expanded significantly over the past five years, with the number of wildlife protected areas rising from 981 in 2020 to 1,134 in 2025, alongside an increase in tiger and elephant reserves, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said the initiatives are aimed at strengthening conservation and improving management effectiveness across national parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves and elephant reserves.

He added that these efforts, anchored in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and backed by centrally sponsored schemes such as Development of Wildlife Habitats and Project Tiger and Elephant, have contributed to improved habitat management, stronger anti-poaching measures and encouraging trends in flagship species populations, as reflected in recent national assessments.

He said during the same period, the number of tiger reserves increased from 50 to 58, while elephant reserves rose from 30 to 33.

“To strengthen ecological connectivity, authorities have identified 32 tiger corridors and 150 elephant corridors across the country. Species-specific conservation in project mode has also yielded results” he added.

The first-ever scientific assessments estimate 718 snow leopards and 6,327 river dolphins in India. The All India Tiger Estimation 2022 pegged the tiger population at 3,682 (range 3,167–3,925), a significant rise from 2,967 in 2018.

Similarly, the Status of Leopards in India–2022 report estimated the leopard population at 13,874, up from 12,852 in 2018.

Conservation of flagship species—including tiger, elephant, lion, snow leopard and dolphin, is being implemented through dedicated projects, while a recovery programme for 24 critically endangered species is providing focused assistance to States and Union Territories, he informed the House.

The Minister said to ensure accountability and improved outcomes on the ground, the government has also undertaken Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) exercises for national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and elephant reserves, assessing how effectively these protected areas are being managed.