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[00:00.95] Arjun Gopalaswamy is an ecologist who knows how to measure wildlife populations.

[00:08.92] He said that estimates from India’s official tiger observation program have been undependable.

[00:17.68] He said some of the numbers in the study are much higher than past estimates of tiger populations from the same datasets.

[00:29.64] But he added that the study's findings seem to have corrected a data problem noted repeatedly by scientists since 2011 related to tiger population size and their range.

[00:46.90] The study said tigers disappeared in some areas.

[00:53.28] These included habitats that were not near national parks or other protected areas, and areas of increased development, increased human use of forest resources and areas with armed conflict.

[01:12.93] “Without community support and participation and community benefits, conservation is not possible in our country,” said Jhala.

[01:25.95] That means local people need to see good results from their efforts to save tigers.

[01:34.45] Tigers are spread across about 138,200 square kilometers of India.

[01:44.55] But just 25 percent of the area is rich in tiger prey and is protected.

[01:53.31] Another 45 percent of tiger habitat is shared with about 60 million people, the study said.

[02:03.40] Jhala said strong wildlife protection legislation is the “backbone” of tiger conservation in India.

[02:14.56] “Habitat is not a constraint, it's the quality of the habitat which is a constraint,” he said.

[02:23.59] Wildlife biologist Ravi Chellam, who did not take part in the study, praised the tiger conservation efforts as promising.

[02:35.28] But, he said, such efforts need to be extended to other wild animals to better care for the whole ecosystem in India.

[02:48.29] Chellam said several kinds of Indian wildlife are “on the edge,” and need more attention.