The Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) project marks a significant evolution in India’s wildlife conservation strategy. It recognises that tiger protection cannot remain confined to fenced or designated reserves alone. With nearly one-third of India’s tigers now living beyond protected areas, the TOTR initiative seeks to safeguard these animals across landscapes shared with human communities.
The TOTR initiative, launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), focuses on conserving and monitoring tigers in 205 forest divisions outside India’s 58 notified tiger reserves. The project aims to track and protect free-ranging tigers while preserving genetic diversity and reducing human–wildlife conflict.
About one in three tigers in India now lives outside protected reserves. These big cats are known for long-distance movements, essential for maintaining healthy genetic exchange between populations. Examples include:
Such extensive movements sustain gene flow and population stability but often lead to conflict with local communities, livestock losses, and occasional retaliatory killings—challenges TOTR seeks to address.
The government has allocated ₹88 crore from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund for 80 forest divisions, with 40 divisions included in the pilot phase. Implementation focuses on:
The TOTR project adopts a landscape approach, viewing tiger habitats as interconnected ecosystems rather than isolated parks. It emphasises:
This approach ensures that tiger movement, prey availability, and human livelihood needs are all balanced within a broader conservation framework.
In August 2025, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) reduced the number of officially recognised tiger corridors from 192 to 32. While the move aimed to streamline project clearances, many conservationists argued it undermined ecological connectivity and could fragment tiger habitats.
The TOTR project attempts to bridge this policy gap by focusing on forest divisions outside reserves, maintaining ecological linkages across states, and ensuring safe passage for tigers.
Earlier conservation models centred on fencing tigers within reserves. TOTR breaks from this reserve-centric approach, recognising that tigers naturally roam large landscapes and coexistence—not isolation—is key to their survival. It reflects a shift toward landscape-scale conservation that integrates biodiversity protection with human development.
The project aims to:
The Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) project redefines tiger conservation by extending protection to 205 forest divisions beyond existing reserves. It blends technology, community involvement, and corridor preservation to reduce conflict and sustain genetic health. Despite debates over reduced official corridors, TOTR represents a landmark policy shift toward landscape-level conservation—balancing ecological continuity with human coexistence.
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