India has 54 tiger reserves, and current estimates suggest that they are now home to around 3,000 tigers. Although this may seem an alarmingly small number, the current trend is somewhat encouraging. Faced with the impending extinction of the iconic predator — chiefly because of poachers intent on supplying the lucrative Chinese traditional medicine trade — Indian authorities discovered resources and resolution. According to some optimistic accounts, tiger numbers have increased by 30% in recent years as a result of more-determined enforcement. India’s most famous tiger reserve is Ranthambore National Park — in part because its location is a three-hour drive from Jaipur. Otherwise, the best-known reserves are Kanha and Bandhavgarh in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. The rapid growth of India’s middle class, some members of which are taking an increased interest in their country’s natural heritage, means that new names will soon become familiar. For example, Pench, Panna and Tadoba national parks are all attracting more visitors.