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GLAND, Switzerland — Tigers are back in the game. For the first time in 100 years, the world population of tigers is on the rise.

After a century of decline, the most recent tiger data revealed there are about 3,890 tigers in the wild, which is up from 3,200 in 2010, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

The big cat’s comeback is in thanks to increasing tiger populations in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan. The ways in which we track tigers have improved and so have the methods used to protect these striped creatures.

“This is a pivotal step in the recovery of one of the world’s most endangered and iconic species,” said Ginette Hemley, senior vice president of wildlife conservation at WWF. “But much more work and investment is needed if we are to reach our goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022.”

The tiger news came just before a key meeting Monday in New Delhi, where WWF and the Global Tiger Forum are hosting a tiger conservation conference. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the conference.

In 2010, governments of countries that are home to tigers pledged to double the number of the animals in the wild by 2022.

While there were tiger gains in some countries, the WWF says the future for tigers in Southeast Asia is still unclear. Poaching and increasing deforestation continue to be threats to tigers.