Wild tiger numbers 40% higher than thought, says conservation group

Improved monitoring has shown nearly 6,000 tigers, says International Union for Conservation of Nature, with population stable or increasing'

There are 40% more tigers in the wild than previously thought, with as many as 5,578 around, though they remain an endangered species, according to a leading conservationist group.

The jump in numbers was due to improved monitoring, with the population thought to be stable or increasing, said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Habitat protection projects showed that recovery is possible".