Tiger census shows big cat’s return to Indore forest:No signs in 2018 to sustained presence by 2026; evolves from leopard-only to multi-carnivore landscape

From recording no tiger presence in 2018 to documenting sustained carnivore expansion by 2026, the Indore forest landscape has undergone a marked ecological turnaround over the last three All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) cycles. Comparative AITE data from 2018, 2022 and 2026 shows a steady rise in both tiger and leopard presence, signalling a transition from a fragmented, leopard-dominated system to a multi-carnivore landscape shaped by habitat recovery, landscape connectivity and coexistence-driven governance. Forest officials say the trend reflects deliberate conservation planning rather than incidental wildlife movement, with Indore increasingly emerging as a functional link between central Indian forests and the larger Satpura landscape. AITE 2018: Leopard presence, tigers absent During the AITE 2018 cycle, leopard signs were recorded in 49 forest beats across the Indore Forest Division, spread across Mhow, Choral, Manpur and Indore ranges. However, tiger presence was entirely absent, highlighting ecological constraints such as habitat fragmentation, limited prey availability and sustained anthropogenic pressure. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Indore Pradeep Mishra said the 2018 findings reflected the ecological status of the landscape at the time. Leopards managed to persist in fragmented forest–agriculture mosaics, but the habitat had not reached the threshold required for tiger dispersal or settlement. AITE 2018 Baseline Leopard signs: 49 beats
Tiger signs: 0 beats
Landscape: Fragmented, leopard-dominated AITE 2022: Transition and first tiger dispersal The AITE 2022 cycle marked a decisive shift. Leopard sign presence expanded to 70 beats, indicating spatial consolidation across the division. More significantly, tiger signs were recorded in 16 beats for the first time, signalling the onset of dispersal into the Indore landscape. Forest officials linked this transition to the structured implementation of the Integrated Human–Wildlife Coexistence Model, which combined habitat improvement with conflict mitigation and community engagement. AITE 2022 Transition Phase Leopard signs: 70 beats
Tiger signs: 16 beats
Key change: First confirmed tiger dispersal AITE 2026: Consolidation and spatial stability By the AITE 2026 assessment, the recovery trend became more pronounced. Leopard signs increased further to 74 beats, nearing saturation across suitable habitats, while tiger signs rose to 21 beats, indicating sustained spatial use rather than sporadic movement. According to forest officials, the 2026 data suggests that the Indore landscape is evolving from a transit zone into a functional habitat supporting multiple large carnivores. AITE 2026 Consolidation Phase Leopard signs: 74 beats
Tiger signs: 21 beats
Trend: Sustained carnivore occupancy Range-wise recovery across Indore landscape A range-wise reading of AITE data reveals differentiated recovery patterns. Choral range has emerged as the core carnivore habitat, with leopard presence strengthening consistently and tiger signs increasing sharply from zero in 2018 to 18 beats by 2026. Forest officers highlighted that the Choral Forest Range functions as a critical corridor, linking the Indore–Mhow forest blocks with the Satpura landscape. This corridor enables dispersal of tigers and co-predators moving between southern Madhya Pradesh and central Indian forests, making even limited tiger signs in Indore Division ecologically significant despite the absence of a resident breeding population. Mhow and Indore ranges, despite high human interface, show stable leopard presence across all three cycles, with tiger signs appearing from 2022 and persisting into 2026, reflecting successful coexistence in human-influenced forests. Manpur range remains largely leopard-dominated, with tiger signs appearing only in later assessments, reinforcing its role as a functional connectivity corridor rather than a primary breeding landscape. Coexistence model limits conflict Forest officials stressed that the increase in tiger and leopard presence has not been accompanied by a proportional rise in serious human–wildlife conflict. The Integrated Human–Wildlife Coexistence Model institutionalised time-bound compensation for livestock depredation and crop damage, strengthened Joint Forest Management Committees and improved intelligence-led patrolling. Mishra said, Conflict management was treated as a governance issue, not a crisis response. That predictability reduced retaliatory risks and built trust among forest-fringe communities. Broader conservation significance From an AITE perspective, the 2018–2026 data positions Indore as a rare example of verifiable carnivore recovery in a human-dominated landscape. Officials said the close alignment between spatial AITE trends, corridor functionality and management interventions indicates that the recovery is deliberate, stable and replicable.