A census of tigers would be ready by October next year and it would be made public, Minister for Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh said in Bhopal on Saturday.
He said the total tiger population in the country is at present estimated to be between 1,100 to 1,400.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said a tiger census conducted along right lines would be ready by October 2010 and its report made public.
Ramesh said he had admitted on the floor of Parliament that the method adopted to conduct the census of animals in the past was faulty.
He pointed out that according to one census conducted in the past, there were around 250 tigers in the Sunderbans forest but the actual number was only around 10.
The Minister said this mistake in the census occurred because of counting the same pugmarks over and over again.
"It is obvious that you will have an exaggerated estimate of the animal census when you count the same pugmarks repeatedly," Ramesh said.
The Minister said Madhya Pradesh with a tiger population of something between 285 to 300 was the most important tiger state in the country followed by Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
{{/usCountry}}The Minister said Madhya Pradesh with a tiger population of something between 285 to 300 was the most important tiger state in the country followed by Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
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