SAVE THE LAST TIGERS

India holds over half the world's tiger population. According to the latest tiger census report released on March 28, 2011 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the current tiger population estimated is 1,706 (i.e. ranging between a minimum of 1,571 to a maximum of 1,875). The results include figures from 17 Indian states with a tiger population. 

In 2008 the tiger population figure stood at 1,411. The Tiger Census 2008 report had classified the tiger occupied forests in India into 6 landscape complexes; namely (a) Shivalik-Gangetic Plains, (b) Central Indian Landscape Complex (c) Eastern Ghats, (d) Western Ghats, (e) North-Eastern Hills and Bhramaputra Plains, and (f) Sunderbans. 

Within the Shivalik-Gangetic plain landscape, it was reported that the tiger occupies 5080 km2 of forested habitats with an estimated population size of 297 (259 to 335) in six separate populations. In the Central Indian Landscape, tiger presence was then reported from 47,122 km2 (11.6 % of forests) with an estimated tiger population of 451 (347 to 564) distributed in 17 populations. The Eastern Ghat landscape complex had about 15,000 km2 of potential tiger habitat. Tigers occupied 7,772 km2 of forested habitats with an estimated population size of 53 (49 to 57). Tigers occupied 21,435 km2 of forests within the Western Ghat Landscape comprising 21% of the forested area. The current potential tiger habitat in the landscape complex is about 51,000 km2. The population estimate for this landscape was 366 (297-434) tigers. North-Eastern hills and Bhramaputra plains reported tiger occupancy in 4230 km2 of forests. Many of the tiger populations, particularly those outside protected reserves, are fragmented, suffer from intense poaching pressure, a dwindling prey base and over-used habitat. 
             The strategy for tiger conservation in India revolves around the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Between the mid 1970's and mid-1980's, many protected areas (66 national parks and 421 wildlife sanctuaries) were set aside, including large tracts of tiger habitat. They were later increased to 102 national parks, 515 wildlife sanctuaries and 44 conservation reserves and 4 community reserves. This resulted in an increase in tiger densities at many locations. Rampant poaching for the trade in tiger parts - all destined for markets outside India's borders - now threatens the tiger's very existence.

    Prevailing conservation efforts are not geared towards, nor have they adequately addressed, the new threats with new protection strategies ie. better law enforcement, training and support. Excellent new tiger protection measures (such as the recommendations of the (Subramanian Committee for the Prevention of Illegal Trade in Wildlife, 1994 and Tiger Task Force, 2005) have been proposed but not implemented or little effective action has been taken in the field. Few of the tiger reserves have an established intelligence network and most of our tiger reserves do not have an armed strike force or basic infrastructure and equipment to combat poaching. The forest guards are often out-gunned and out-manned by poachers. Several cases of murder and serious assault on forest guards on duty have been reported recently. 

The last meeting of the National Board of Wildlife was held on 18 March 2010. Large development projects, such as mining, thermal and hydroelectric dams, are also taking their toll on the tiger's habitat. In the past ten years, thousands of square kilometres of forest land have been diverted and destroyed to facilitate such projects. Though mostly outside the protected network, the loss of this vital habitat will have serious repercussions on tiger conservation in India.

Since 1994, WPSI has made a concerted effort to gather accurate information on tiger poaching occurring throughout India. A total of 923 tigers are known to have been killed from 1994 to 2010. WPSIs extensive database of tigers poached has detailed information on poaching figures collected by us. These figures, however, are reported cases and represent only a fraction of the actual poaching activity in India.

   An undercover investigation by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in 2005 revealed that the trade in tiger and leopard body parts in China continues to thrive, operating without any hindrance from the Chinese government whilst driving India’s wild tigers closer towards extinction.

Despite all these problems, India still holds the best chance for saving the tiger in the wild. Tigers occur in 17 States within the Republic of India, with 7 States reportedly having populations in excess of 100 tigers. There are still areas with relatively large tiger populations and extensive tracts of protected habitat. Adequate funding and international pressure will help. But probably the most effective way to implement tiger conservation action in India today is to enhance NGO participation. There are a number of dedicated organisations that are effectively involved in hands-on tiger conservation. They keep the issue energized on a national level and tenaciously try to increase political will to secure the tiger's future. The Indian conservation and scientific community is now a proven force. It needs to be strengthened.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Poaching for fur and destruction of habitat have greatly reduced tiger populations in the wild. At the start of the 20th century, it is estimated there were over 100,000 tigers in the world but the population has dwindled to between 1,500 and 3,500 in the wild.^[89] Some estimates suggest that there are less than 2,500 mature breeding individuals, with no subpopulation containing more than 250 mature breeding individuals.^[90]

India

A Bengal tiger in a national park insouthern India. Indian officials successfully reintroduced two Bengal tigers in theSariska Tiger Reserve in July 2008.^[91]

Main article: Project Tiger

India is home to the world's largest population of tigers in the wild.^[92] According to the World Wildlife Fund, of the 3,500 tigers around the world, 1,400 are found in India. Only 11% of original Indian tiger habitat remains, and it is becoming significantly fragmented and often degraded.^[93][94]

A major concerted conservation effort, known as Project Tiger, has been underway since 1973, initially spearheaded by Indira Gandhi. The fundamental accomplishment has been the establishment of over 25 well-monitored tiger reserves in reclaimed land where human development is categorically forbidden. The program has been credited with tripling the number of wild Bengal tigers from roughly 1,200 in 1973 to over 3,500 in the 1990s. However, a tiger census carried out in 2007, whose report was published on February 12, 2008, stated that the wild tiger population in India declined by 60% to approximately 1,411.^[95] It is noted in the report that the decrease of tiger population can be attributed directly to poaching.^[96]

Following the release of the report, the Indian government pledged $153 million to further fund the Project Tiger initiative, set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers, and fund the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimise human-tiger interaction.^[97] Additionally, eight new tiger reserves in India were set up.^[98] Indian officials successfully started a project to reintroduce the tigers into the Sariska Tiger Reserve.^[99] The Ranthambore National Parkis often cited as a major success by Indian officials against poaching.^[100] In 2011 the census found 1,706 tigers Page text.^[101]

Tigers Forever is a collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Society and Panthera Corporation to serve as both a science-based action plan and a business model to ensure that tigers live in the wild forever. Initial field sites of Tigers Forever include the world’s largest tiger reserve, the 21,756 km² Hukaung Valley in Myanmar, the Western Ghats in India, Thailand’s Huai Khai Khaeng-Thung Yai protected areas, and other sites in Laos PDR, Cambodia, the Russian Far East and China covering approximately 260,000 km2 of critical tiger habitat.

Shocking News! Only 1000 Tigers left in the Wild

India’s wild tiger population is less than the often claimed figure of 1,411 tigers.

“It (the figure) is an exaggeration,” Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh said, while launching a handbook on wildlife law enforcement in India. “I don’t know from where the figure came. Probably, the number of tigers in the wild are much lower and are diminishing day by day”.

Hindustan Times was the first to report in January that India’s wild tiger population may not be more than 1,000. Many experts have doubts over the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) figure of 1,411.

“To me, there are not more than 1,000 to 1,100 tigers in the wild,” said P.K. Sen, former director of Project Tiger.

The Tiger Census report had estimated maximum of 1,650 and minimum of 1,150 tigers in 2007. It meant an average of 1,411 tigers. Since then, over 100 deaths have been reported.

The new tiger census that uses better methodology will be completed by October and by December 2010, the number of big cat would be out.

Belinda Wright, executive director of Wildlife Protection Society of India, said: “The tiger estimate in new census would be less” than in 2008.

However, Sen said that “Except Corbett Tiger Reserve, the tiger population in most other reserves has diminished.”

But four tigers died in Corbett last month, which Anil Baluni, deputy chairman of state environment and forest advisory committee, said were because of natural reasons. “There wasn’t even a single case of poaching as all body parts were intact,” he said.