India needs China to save tigers

New Delhi: A team of Chinese officials will visit India towards the end of the month to work out a collaboration between the two countries to curb poaching of tigers.

Chinese help is critical to protect India's tiger population and Beijing needs to curb the market for big cat skins and body parts, most of which are supplied from India.

India, home to the world's largest tiger population, had about 40,000 of the animals a century ago.

Now, government figures say about 3,700 survive, although some conservationists say the number was much lower and more likely around 1800, largely due to rampant poaching to feed a huge demand for tiger skins and parts in China and Tibet.

Director, Project Tiger, Rajesh Gopal said the Chinese team's visit was to take the the Indo-Chinese protocol on tigers a step farther. India and China had signed an agreement in 1995 to help conserve tigers but experts say it has been of little use.

Tiger expert Valmik Thapar, sceptical of tie-ups, said nothing has been done after signing the protocol. He said the government would do well to tackle the problems within the country rather than seek outside collaboration for saving the tiger.

Vacancies in forest field staff need to be filled, proper training and sensitisation of the staff also need to be carried out, Thapar added. Nothing has moved even after 15 months of the intervention of the PM.