Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation program launched in India in 1973 to protect tigers and their habitat. It aims to conserve tigers in reserves representing various bio-geographic regions and stabilize the tiger population in the country. Project Tiger has established over 40 reserves covering over 37,761 square kilometers and helped increase tiger numbers from 1,200 in the 1970s to 3,500 in the 1990s, although a 2008 survey found the population had dropped to 1,411. The program utilizes technology like GPS and GIS mapping to evaluate tiger habitats and populations across key areas in India.