New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) India got its 54th tiger reserve in Rajasthan's Karauli and Dholpur districts on Tuesday with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approving a proposal in this regard.

This is Rajasthan's fifth tiger reserve after Ranthambore, Sariska, Mukundra Hills and Ramgarh Vishdhari.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Seven Policemen Suspended in Bareilly for Conniving With Criminal, One for Taking Money, Says Official.

"Giant leap for wildlife conservation in Rajasthan. Happy to announce that the state has got yet another Tiger Reserve.

"The Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve has been accorded the final approval by @ntca_india. Let's pledge to safeguard this precious ecosystem and its majestic tigers," Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav wrote on the microblogging site X.

Also Read | ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, ‘Vande Matram’ Echo in South Africa As PM Narendra Modi Lands in Johannesburg for 15th BRICS Summit (Watch Video).

The number of tigers in India has increased from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,682 in 2022, an annual rise of 6 per cent, according to government data.

With a 50 per cent increase in the last four years, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of tigers in the country (785), followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444).

The number of tigers in Rajasthan has increased from 32 in 2006 to 88 in 2022.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)