<p>A remote camera captures a Sumatran tiger while hunting.</p>

Out on Patrol

A remote camera captures a Sumatran tiger while hunting.

Photograph by Steve Winter, Nat Geo Image Collection

Tiger Numbers Rise for First Time in a Century

Tiger range countries are on their way to their goal of doubling the animal's population, but challenges remain.

At last—some good news for tigers. Driven largely by conservation successes in India, Russia, and Nepal, the global population of tigers in the wild has shown a significant increase in the past few years, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports in a new survey. The report comes as national leaders meet in India to discuss next steps for saving the iconic—and highly endangered—species.

The study estimates that there are now 3,890 wild tigers, up from 3,200 in 2010, when countries announced a historic commitment to double the population by 2022. Countries appear to be heading toward their goal, and this is the first time tiger numbers have been increasing globally in more than a hundred years.

"We're positively surprised

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