Their numbers are dwindling with each passing day. And even those present in the tiger reserves across the country run the risk of extinction as they may either die of old age or fall prey to poaching.
Tigers and one-horned rhinos are fighting a losing battle. With poaching on the rise and their habitats shrinking, the day is not far when these animals will disappear from the planet
NEW DELHI: Their numbers are dwindling with each passing day. And even those present in the tiger reserves across the country run the risk of extinction as they may either die of old age or fall prey to poaching.
Confined to shrinking habitats, the tiger population in several sanctuaries is not enough to sustain the big cats beyond a point. Some experts said the looming problem of in-breeding in many reserves, where the tiger population and habitats are shrinking, will be the last nail on the population coffin. They cited the example of Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh where tigers are concentrated in a small area.
Noted tiger expert Valmik Thapar said except for some reserves in Madhya Pradesh, Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, Sunderbans in Bengal and Nagarhole-Bandipur area in South India, tiger population in most reserves has become unviable. “In Panna, for example, there are only four male tigers left,” says Thapar. Jharkhand has only 14 tigers, he adds.
“The situation today is the most critical in past 60 years,” feels Thapar. According to the latest tiger census, from the time Project Tiger was launched in 1973, the big cat population has come down from to around 1,300 from 1,800, even though nearly Rs2000 crore was spent to save the majestic creatures. The census - the most extensive and scientific exercise undertaken till date - exposed the extent to which figures were fudged in earlier instances.
In the 16 reserves in central Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the tiger population has fallen by up to 50 per cent. Destruction of natural habitats and rampant poaching were cited as the main reasons behind the disappearing tigers. Poaching was spurred by a thriving trade in tiger skin in China and Southeast Asia where they are used to make robes and to prepare traditional medicines.
“The figures are an eye-opener,” said HS Panwar, member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Conceding that in some reserves a situation was developing where the tiger population could be unviable, he said during 1989-90 till the Sariska disaster, Project Tiger received a sort of 'cold shoulder' from the state governments and the Centre also did little to help the cause.
When reports of tiger disappearance in Sariska shook the government out of its stupor, authorities discovered the extent of poaching and thriving international trade behind it.
Results of the present census revealed that even in reserves where the situation was comparatively better, there was little protection outside for tigers that strayed out of their habitats.
In smaller reserves, the numbers are falling, said Panwar. He added on an optimistic note that management options such as translocation could save the tigers, provided the overall situation improved.
He said serious efforts for tiger conservation have been on for three years and a comprehensive plan to improve the ecology and environment had been conceptualised.
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