Tigers: India
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He claimed that the data of union government also denotes that the number of tigers in Madhya Pradesh are rising gradually over the years. | He claimed that the data of union government also denotes that the number of tigers in Madhya Pradesh are rising gradually over the years. | ||
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[epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Big-jump-in-tiger-count-in-Ukhand-27072017017025 Sharma Seema|Big jump in tiger count in U'khand|Jul 27 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)] | [epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Big-jump-in-tiger-count-in-Ukhand-27072017017025 Sharma Seema|Big jump in tiger count in U'khand|Jul 27 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)] | ||
Revision as of 14:56, 14 September 2017
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Population
1999-2015: Population
See graphic
2006-2014: High growth
Jan 21 2015
2,226 now: Tiger numbers grow by 30% in 4 years Camera trap and DNA sampling methods used in tiger census
Vishwa Mohan
There are more than 2,200 tigers in India's forests, the latest census reveals, indicating a sharp 30% rise in four years that'll come as a big boost to India's conservation efforts. The census, held in 2014, found evidence for 2,226 tigers, compared to 1,706 in 2010.
The southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the Western Ghats landscape recorded nearly one-third of the country's total number of big cats. Karnataka continues to have the highest number of tigers in India, itself home to 70% of the world's tiger population.The Mudumalai-BandipurNagarhole-Wayanad forest complex in Western Ghats holds the world's largest tiger population, with 570 tigers. If one compares the 2006 tiger census, when mod ern methodology was adopted for the first time, revealing a tiger population of just 1,411 -the overall increase across the country is a phenomenal 800-odd tigers in the past eight years.
Releasing the 2014 data on Tuesday , Union environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar said, “We must be proud of our legacy . We have increased the number of tigers by over 30% from the last count (in 2010). “ A total of 3,78,118 sq km of forest area in 18 states, having tiger population, was surveyed during the census that used `double sampling' approach including ground survey and remote camera trapbased capture and recapture technique. Besides, scat DNA sampling method was also used for corroboration in many forest areas.
More than 9,730 cameras were used in the exercise, carried out by National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the state forest departments, national conservation NGOs and Wildlife Institute of India.
The exercise resulted in 1,540 individual tigers being photographed -making it the most authentic report on tiger population in the country.
The report shows that the tiger population has increased in Karnataka, Utta rakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the past four years, while it has decresed in Odisha and Jharkhand.
Uttar Pradesh: an increase
Rise in No. of tigers in Uttar Pradesh
The Times of India TNN | Jul 27, 2014
LUCKNOW: Camera traps have shown more tigers in the core area of Dudhwa tiger reserve this time. The initial estimates for two years, 2011 to 2013, have shown 72 to 80 tigers in the core area of the reserve.
Tiger census 2010-11 had counted 118 tigers in Dudhwa reserve. "The final count this time might be around 125," said PCCF (wildlife), UP, Rupak De.
The findings have been sent to the Union ministry of environment and forest for screening, said the official.
Camera-trapping exercise has been done for Kishenpur wildlife sanctuary and Dudhwa national park which form core of the reserve. Initial findings have also come for Pilibhit forest division which is now a separate reserve.
In all, 72 to 80 tigers have been counted in these areas. Once figures for Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary, North and South kheri forest division come, tiger numbers might go up to 125. The improved census technique could have resulted in more tigers getting recorded in camera.
It was an 'intensive' exercise as a pair of cameras was installed every 1.6 sq km of the core area. A pair of cameras was installed at 65 identified points in Kishenpur and at 206 identified points in Dudhwa national park.
The height at which cameras were mounted was also altered to record cubs, two-year old and less.
About a dozen new cubs have been recorded in camera.
At least 382 photographs have been downloaded from cameras installed in Kishenpur and Dudhwa national park.
Many of these photographs, said officials, could be 'repetitions' which is why the photographs would be screened. Tiger census is on since November 15 in the reserve.
UP has a major tiger population in Dudhwa tiger reserve comprising Dudhwa National Park (680 sq km), Kishenpur Sanctuary (204 sq km) and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (440 sq km); Pilibhit (720 sq km); North Kheri (350 sq km) and South Kheri (460 sq km).
Smaller tiger populations are present in Bijnor forests in west and Suhelwa (Gonda-Bahraich) and Sohagibarwa wildlife sanctuaries (Maharajganj) in east.
2010-2016, a rise of 22%
The Times of India, Apr 12 2016
Tiger population up 22% in 6 years
Vishwa Mohan
After decades of constant decline, the world has for the first time seen an increase in the global tiger population. The number of tigers in the wild has increased from 3,200 in 2010 to 3,890 in April this year -an increase of nearly 22% -with India continuing to be home to the highest number of big cats.
The latest figures of global tiger population were released on Monday on the eve of the third Asia Ministerial Conference on tiger conservation. The three-day mega meet will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday .
The number of tigers will turn out to be even more once one of the tiger range countries, Myanmar, comes out with its latest data. Myanmar had 85 tigers roaming its jungles in 2010.Since there is no recent data available for the country , the `Global Wild Tiger Status' report has not included the country's figure in the overall global figure.
The updated minimum figure is compiled from International Union for Con servation of Nature (IUCN) data and the latest national tiger surveys. The report has attributed the increase in world tiger population to multiple factors including increases in tiger populations in India, Russia, Nepal and Bhutan, improved surveys and enhanced protection. India alone recorded an increase of over 500 tigers during the period.
Speaking about India's efforts to conserve tiger, Union environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar said, “We have allotted Rs 380 crore to Project Tiger in the current fiscal year, which is an all-time high. It indicates that the government is committed to the conservation of our national animal tiger“.
It was agreed in 2010 Tiger Summit in Russia to double the number of tigers by 2022. The goal is known as Tx2.
2012-16: Rising population
The Hindu, January 1, 2017
Statistics provided by the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) show that the death toll of wild tigers in the country was 97 in 2016, the highest among the annual death figure of the big cat in five years from 2012 to 2016. In 2015, there were 70 wild tiger deaths, in 2014 it was 66, in 2013, 63 and in 2012, 72.
The wild tiger toll in 2016 began with three deaths reported on January 2 from three different States, Aassam, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The last one in 2016 was reported on December 28 at Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. A whopping 30 wild tiger deaths were reported from Madhya Pradesh alone in 2016.
Karnataka followed with 17 deaths and Maharashtra with 15 wild tiger deaths last year. Among the deaths, only 18 were due to natural causes. Four deaths were caused by poisoning, 12 deaths due to infighting between tigers and one each caused by drowning, electrocution and poaching. The poaching was reported from the Chikmagalur territorial division of Karnataka.
Two tigers, one at Gudalur in Tamil Nadu and the other at Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, were “eliminated” by authorities following conflict with man. The NTCA data says that cause of death of the remaining tigers was awaited.
On March 28, 2016, three tigers were found dead due to poisoning at the Satosha beat area of Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The highest number of wild tiger deaths was in April — 12, and in that month five deaths were reported from Madhya Pradesh.
The country lost four tigers on April 26, three tigers on December 8 and two tigers each on January 21, April 2, April 8, May 7, November 4 and November 24.
Uttarakhand, sightings: 2016
The Times of India, Aug 04 2016
Another tiger sighted at 14,000ft in Uttarakhand
Days after the Uttarakhand forest department said there were sightings of a tiger at a height of 12,000ft in the Askot wildlife sanctuary in Pithoragarh, the first time the presence of a wild cat was recorded at such altitudes anywhere in the country, there came reports of another tiger sighting at an altitude of 14,000ft, this time at Kapni Tal, a high-altitude lake in Kedar valley.
The divisional forest officer (DFO) of the area claimed that camera trap images of a tiger in the area had been recorded and sent for further studies.
However, senior forest officials said further confirmation of the sighting -and whether it took place at the altitude specified -was needed before the presence of another big cat at high altitude could be confirmed. The news of the sighting in the upper reaches of Garhwal coming as it did after the one at Kumaon immediately sent interest levels soaring although officials continued to evade questions on the validity of the camera-trap images.
Meanwhile, DVS Khati, the chief wildlife warden, said that it was not clear whether “the camera trap image of the tiger is from the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary or anywhere else.“
2016: Nameless tigers are ‘numbered’
The Times of India, Jun 04 2016
Sixteen `nameless' tigers, half of them not spotted for months, in Rajasthan's Ranthambore national park have been numbered for tracking and subsequent mo nitoring. The numbers were assigned to these adult tigers, most of them at least two years old, on the basis of trap camera footage. Ranthambore was the first national park in the country that began assigning numbers to tigers on the basis of photos from cameras set up across its territory. In 2009, the numbers assigned were from T-1 to T-45. In 2013, the new number were from T-46 to T-75. Now, 16 more numbers have been added.
2016: Tiger cub boom
The Times of India, Jun 16 2016
Rachna Singh
Tourists are enjoying a baby boom at Rajasthan's Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve with only a fortnight to go before it closes. The national park remains open to visitors as per safari timings from October 1 to June 30 every year.
Wildlife lovers are elated as the area has for a long time been devoid of any tigers. While a tiger named T 5 died recently , T 17 disappeared mysteriously .Also, two tigers from this area were shifted to Sariska Tiger Reserve.
Conservationists say there should be a special emphasis on protection of the cubs as the area where they were sighted faces threat from the illegal mining lobby, grazing and the pilgrim rush at a nearby temple.
The tiger reserve has 43 adults, 25 male and 18 female, and 19 cubs, taking the total number to 62.
2016: Tiger count in Sunderbans rises to 85
i) India
ii) the Sunderbans
The number of big cats in the Indian Sunderbans is healthy and rising. A recent camera-trap exercise has spotted at least 9 more tigers over last year's figures in the entire mangroves, including the tiger reserve area and the South 24-Parganas forest division.
The assessment exercise by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had in 2015 put the total tiger count in the Sunderbans at 76. This year, state foresters have put the number at more than 85 on the basis of camera-trap images, but claim the number could be more since it is not possible to photograph all the big cats using camera traps.
This development, along with the recent sightings of otters, indicate a revival of health of the Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest spanning two countries.
This is the first time that the camera-trap exercise covered the entire Indian side of Sunderbans -the tiger reserve area and the forests outside. The exercise was completed jointly by WWF India and the state forest department.
While chief wildlife warden Pradeep Vyas refused to divulge details and restricted himself to saying that a “report had been prepared and would be submitted next week“, sources in the know claimed that at least 25 tigers, including a cub, were found outside the reserve area or the South 24-Parganas forest division. The remaining 60 were spotted inside the tiger reserve area.
The camera-trap images were analysed with the help of a special software that matched the stripe patterns of the big cats to arrive at a figure of 85, the sources explained. The same exercise last year had projected the cat population in the mangroves at 76.
Earlier, TOI had highlighted how a data-collection exercise has revealed that the population of swamp tigers is on the rise even outside the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR), a protected area.
An official said the recent sightings also show that the population inside the STR area is healthy . In September, a mating pair was sighted in a forest within the tourism zone of Sajnekhali.
Tigers were also reportedly sighted by tourists during monsoon and Durga puja.Movement of a big female and two cubs has also been reported from the Sajnekhali tourism zone which is spread over 362 square kilometres.The tourism zone covers forests like Pirkhali, Dobanki and Panchamukhani.
The camera-trap exercise, that was started in December 2015 in the South 24Parganas forest division, was completed in April 2016 at the Basirhat range that falls in the STR zone.
A similar report released by the state forest department in 2013 had predicted the presence of at least 101 tigers in the mangroves. On being asked about that, a forester said that a refined technology used this time gave a more reliable figure.
“Besides, the cubs were not taken into account. And, as we said earlier, we can't expect all the tigers to appear before the cameras. So the numbers can be even more,“ he added.
2016, Madhya Pradesh: a decline
The Indian Express, January 2, 2017
The year 2016 was not for tigers as death toll in Madhya Pradesh touched 33
On an average, 14 tigers had died every year from 2012 to 2015, but the death toll went up to an alarming level of 33 in 2016.
Once a home to tigers, Madhya Pradesh now appears to have turned into an enemy territory for them, as the state witnessed the highest number of feline deaths in 2016, when it lost 33 big cats, taking the toll to 89 in a period of last five years. From year 2011 to 2016, as many as 89 tigers including 11 cubs died in the state due to various reasons including poaching, territorial clashes or for natural reasons as cited in the data obtained from the MP Forest Department.
The data revealed that 2012 witnessed the death of 16 felines which reduced to 11 next year (2013). Subsequent years proved more fatal for the wildcat when the state saw 14 and 15 deaths respectively in 2014 and 2015. And, then came 2016, the worst of all when the figures (of feline deaths) were almost double the average of previous five years.
On an average, 14 tigers had died every year from 2012 to 2015, but the death toll went up to an alarming level of 33 in 2016. As far as reasons are concerned, the death of 30 out of 89 tigers were attributed to the territorial clashes, while 22 of them have fallen prey to poachers, who killed them either by poisoning or through the electrocution.
The remaining 37 tigers are cited to die either due to their old age, illness or some other reasons. Amid all these dismal reports about dwindling wildcats’ population, state forest authorities claimed that there was some encouraging news too for tiger conservationists. The state has recorded a growth in their population as more cubs were born during this period. “The tiger population was reduced to 257, according to the census carried out by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2011. However in 2014, the tiger population in the state has gone up to 308,” MP’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wildlife, Jitendra Agrawal told PTI. Agrawal claimed that there are 216 tigers in only six tiger reserves of the state – Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Satpura and Sanjay National Park. “In addition to these tiger reserves, there are a number of tigers in other forests of the state. If cubs are included, the number of tigers may go beyond 400. This data is an evidence of ongoing conservation work,” he added.
He claimed that the data of union government also denotes that the number of tigers in Madhya Pradesh are rising gradually over the years.
2017: Increase in Uttarakhand
[epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=Big-jump-in-tiger-count-in-Ukhand-27072017017025 Sharma Seema|Big jump in tiger count in U'khand|Jul 27 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)]
Tiger numbers have swelled in reserves of Uttarakhand with both Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji Tiger Reserve registering an increase in the population of the animal in the latest census, results of which were announced by chief minister Trivendra Rawat on Wednesday .
According to the tiger estimation exercise, Corbett now harbours a minimum of 208 tigers, a rise from 163 in 2015, while Rajaji is home to 34 big cats, up from 16 in 2015. Forest department officials have attributed the increase in tiger numbers to enhanced security measures undertaken in the recent past.
The census, which esti mated the minimum number of tigers, was based on camera trap method and was conducted as per National Tiger Conservation Authority protocols.
The tiger count started on November 28, 2016 and ended on March 19. In Corbett, 535 camera traps were set up in the 1,318 sq km area of the reserve. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) collaborated with forest department officials to carry out the exercise.
Tiger reserves
Tiger reserves, state-wise
From the archives of India Today , May 28, 2009
Ambreesh Mishra with Mihir Srivastava
The elegantly-worded and detailed website of the Madhya Pradesh Government’s Forest Department has but one missing element—the number of tigers to be found in its numerous national parks, sanctuaries and reserves. Odd, since Madhya Pradesh is considered India’s tiger country.
Not odd at all though, if you take into account its dismal recent conservation record—and the unfortunate propensity of authorites to seek refuge in consistent, unyielding denial.
The brutal truth, however, goes nowhere, even while the opposite happens to the state’s tigers. Four years ago, Sariska National Park in Rajasthan became the metaphor for the decimation of India’s national animal. The nightmare has now shifted location to Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) sent by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to probe reports of the disappearance of tigers from Panna confirmed early this month that there weren’t any male tigers left in the once-thriving tiger reserve. In a belated face-saving move, the state Government last week transferred directors of three national parks, including L.K. Chaudhary of Panna.
The directors of Bandhavgarh and Kanha parks have also been transferred. It seems a cosmetic exercise though, as Chaudhary was posted only in August 2008. According to the Central SIT, the park was already devoid of the big cats by that time.
The 2002 tiger census reported that Panna had 20 tigresses, 14 tigers and a cub. In 2004, a CBI inquiry confirmed that all tigers in Panna were dead even as forest officials maintained that the striped cats were very much alive.
In April 2004, Belinda Wright, head of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, filed a writ petition with the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court. She highlighted the alarming loss of tiger population in the park due to poaching, extensive burning and quarrying.
After the Sariska tragedy hit the headlines, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department had claimed in December 2005 that according to their last count in March that year, there still were 34 tigers in the park. P.K. Sen, the SIT’s chief, however, suspects that tigers may have vanished from Panna altogether by the end of 2008. In March 2009, two tigresses were transported to Panna from Bandhavgarh and Kanha parks after being tranquilised. Wildlife officials were hoping to find mates for the lone surviving tiger in the reserve. Their drive to promote breeding in Panna was futile once it became clear that the ‘lone surviving’ tiger in Panna’s wilderness had not survived the cull.
Late in April, a SIT team made up of S.P. Yadav, Joint Director of NTCA, and Qamar Qureshi, senior scientist of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, held extensive public hearings in villages and dwellings around Panna National Park. The denial by locals about tiger sightings flew in the face of the claims by authorities about the presence of the lone male tiger in Panna.
The 2002 census, based on pug mark identification, stated that there were three tigresses for every 100 sq km in Panna. Then in 2006, a census revealed there were three tigers for each tigress, an alarming reverse, technically impossible within such a short time. In May that year, locals reported being unable to sight even one striped cat. All the time, forest officials claimed otherwise.
In 2006, wildlife conservationist Raghunandan Singh Chundawat had warned the Government about the dwindling tiger population in Panna.
He was shouted down, with the Government producing its own census figure and claiming that Chundawat was raising the bogey of missing tigers only because he had been slapped with a hefty fine by the Forest Department for the use of an elephant. The animal, the Government said, had been sought for scientific research but was used to shoot a commercial documentary instead.
It is now clear that in Chundawat’s case, Madhya Pradesh wildlife authorities, in a desperate bid to cover up their own sins, were merely shooting the messenger. It worked for four years but the shocking neglect and apathy have finally caught up with the state’s Forest Department.
Early this year, a Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) team found signs of tiger habitation in Panna but failed to sight the big cat. Their experience confirmed the version of local tour operators that tiger sightings had dwindled alarmingly. In March, experts from WII,who were camping in Panna to carry out a census, tentatively confirmed the worst fears of conservationists—at the most only one tiger was left there.
The decision to relocate tigresses from Bandhavgarh and Kanha to Panna was then made, a tacit admission by the department that the big cat had been run out or hunted down from Panna’s forests. A local now says that one of the tigresses brought in to the reserve was already pregnant. This, he says, was a deception devised by forest officials to allow them to claim that there was a male tiger in Panna, when, in his estimation, the last tiger disappeared from Panna in 2008. The reason behind their disappearance was most probably unchecked poaching. If the tigers had left the habitat due to an imbalance in the natural cycle, relocated tigers would leave too.
Even as the NTCA formed the SIT to investigate the Panna episode, the MOEF wrote to the Madhya Pradesh Government, suggesting that a committee be formed to probe the tiger disappearances from Panna. Meanwhile, the state Government is targeting Sen for allowing the news of the purge of Panna into the public domain. Rather than introspect on his department’s negligence, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, Prashant Mehta, has written to the Centre, complaining that the SIT shouldn’t have made such disclosures publicly. The messenger has already been shot.
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, created at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has seemingly failed to rein in poaching and related offences. A year after it was founded on June 6, 2007, the bureau is still grappling with manpower issues. Against a sanctioned staff of 110, only 25 personnel have been recruited. Rina Mitra, chief of the bureau, says, “It has been a bumpy ride to integrate forest, police and customs officials to combat wildlife crimes.” The state Government has set up a separate probe committee for Panna, which is yet to begin investigations. This slow response reflects the establishment’s attitude to the alarming rate at which the tiger is being hunted down.
The problem continues to grow: there have been six unexplained deaths in the state’s Kanha Tiger Reserve. “Kanha is showing early signs of Panna,” warns Chundawat. Tiger country is slowly but surely losing its stripes.
Fading stripes
• In 2004, it was discovered that Sariska had no tigers. By 2008, all big cats were gone from Panna. • The last tiger census of 2005 put the number of tigers in Panna at 34. • A special investigative team found that officials had tried to camouflage the truth about Panna. • There have also been six unexplained tiger deaths over the past six months in Kanha.
Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal: "No sign of tigers"
Apr 27 2015
Krishnendu Mukherjee
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientists who conducted a nationwide tiger census over four years have stated in their final report that they found no sign of tigers in the north Bengal park.
“Though two tigers were identified in Buxa on the basis of scat-based DNA, our research team has found no tiger sign in the forest,“ says the report, which was recently submitted to the ministry of environment and forests According to the findings, the Buxa tiger population is “declining“ and needs special attention. The Dehradun-based research institute has also questioned the authenticity of the scat samples sent to it by the Bengal forest department.“We took the GPS coordinates of the scat samples from the state foresters and sent our research team there,“ said Y V Jhala, a senior scientist at the institute. “But the team didn't find any tiger sign in and around those areas. So, we could not authenticate the origin of the scats.“
Earlier, there were allega tions that such scat samples were collected from a wildlife rescue centre located near the tiger reserve. A cameratrap exercise, started in Buxa more than a year ago, has also failed to capture any image of tigers. The same exercise, though, has brought to light the existence of rare and elusive animals such as the clouded leopard, marbled cat and Himalayan serow in the reserve.
A separate study by WII, however, has found the movement of about nine tigers in the corridor between Buxa and Assam's Manas Tiger Reserve.
Ranthambore National Park: Rajasthan
See graphic
CAT-COUNT-3-cubs-born-in-Ranthambhore-tiger
Nov 09 2016 : The Times of India CAT COUNT - 3 cubs born in Ranthambhore, tiger count now at 63 Rachna Singh Jaipur:
While tigers face threats in several habitats across the country , Ranthambhore National Park is falling short of space to house a booming big cat population.
Three more were added to the park's tiger population when tourists on Tuesday morning sighted the newly born litter of Noor aka T-39, which now takes the big cat number in the park to 63. The tigress was sighted with three cubs.
Y K Sahu, field director of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), said this was the first time that three cubs were sighted. “This is the third litter of T-39. Her previous two litters all male adults and sub-adults have been sighted in the Kailadevi area of the park. This is an indication that Kailadevi area is now conducive as a tiger habitat as earlier tigers that had strayed from Ranthambhore to Kailadevi, either came back or strayed into Madhya Pradesh,“ Sahu said.
There are 40-45 adult tigers in RTR. With semi-adults and cubs, the number swells to 63.“The park needs more space for tigers and we have to secure the entire corridor as a safe habitat through relocation of villages. The reason for tigers staying at Kailadevi is because there is less human intervention,“ said Sahu.
Orang National Park, Assam
The Times of India, Mar 02, 2016
`Mini Kaziranga' is India's 49th reserve
Assam's Orang national park, also known as `mini Kaziranga', has become the 49th tiger reserve in the country, with the state government issuing a notification to this effect. The environment ministry has given the nod for three more reserves at Ratapani (MP), Sunabeda (Odisha) and Guru Ghasidas (Chhattisgarh). The conversion of a wildlife sanctuarynational park to a tiger reserve leads to enhanced central funding for a higher level of conservation, which includes a clear demarcation of core and buffer zones in the forest.
Kawal Tiger Reserve, Telangana
The Hindu, December 9, 2016
S. Harpal Singh
Curbs on vehicle traffic through tiger reserve go
Telangana government moves to lift curbs on heavy vehicle traffic movement
Soon after resolving to lift restrictions on vehicular traffic through the Kawal Tiger Reserve, the Telangana government is ironically set to pat itself on the back for its “support” to conservation at the Conference of Parties-13 at Cancun in Mexico.
Environment and Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna, who chaired the meeting of the State Board for Wildlife, where decisions of far-reaching consequences were taken, will attend COP-13 from Friday. He will make a presentation on the government’s efforts to protect the environment.
Among the decisions taken at the meeting was the resolution to lift curbs on the flow of heavy vehicle traffic through the tiger reserve. Environmentalists say the move will nullify all that was achieved in terms of tiger conservation.
In fact, conservationists question the very validity of the meeting as it was not chaired by Board Chairman, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
“The gaur or Indian bison, now found only in Kawal in entire Telangana, will go extinct,” opined a conservationist as he dwelt on the controversial move. “Restoration of traffic will effectively fragment the core area and the gaurs will die while crossing the road to reach Godavari river, which they do invariably,” he explained.
The bison constitutes the main prey for tigers and its presence gives much hope for tiger conservation. Kawal has about 250 of these wild animals.
‘Alternative route’
“The government can develop the Tapalpur-Kalamadugu road along Godavari as an alternative as it does not disturb the tiger reserve,” suggested former Jannaram Wildlife Divisional Officer G. Rama Krishna Rao.
Lorry traffic will bring back dhaba culture and provide scope for poachers to sell wildlife meat to lorry drivers and others, he said.
2016: First tiger repository, Dehradun
The Hindu, August 7, 2016
Kavita Upadhyay
Country gets its first tiger repository
The Dehradun-based WII has about 23,000 images of tigers. “This has to be maintained and the Tiger Cell will do that,” Dr. Mathur said, adding that “if a tiger skin is recovered at a place then a properly maintained database can be used to check where the tiger might have come from.”Project clearanceThe Tiger Cell could also help with the development-conservation debate. “When a project needs environmental clearance, our spatial data can be used to overlay the project plan on our maps and check whether the project would interfere [with wildlife habitats that must not be disturbed],” WII Director V. B. Mathur said.
“We have worked with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on tiger conservation and population estimation, and in the process we have generated a huge database,” WII Director V. B. Mathur told.
The Tiger Cell was inaugurated and will be funded by the NTCA, a statutory body under the Environment Ministry.
“The Tiger Cell will assist in population assessment of tigers, law enforcement, wildlife forensics, infrastructural development and mitigation, smart patrolling and advisory role in policy formulation,” said Y.V. Jhala, a wildlife scientist at the WII who will head the Tiger Cell.
“We have been working with the Central government for a long time but this is a formal arrangement where we are institutionalising our contribution,” Dr. Jhala said.
2016: MP, first sanctuary for white tigers
The Times of India, Apr 3, 2016
World’s first sanctuary for white tigers opens in MP
Jayashree Nandi
The world’s first white tiger sanctuary has opened at Mukundpur, 20km from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. Wildlife experts, though, have been critical of white tiger breeding since it has no conservation value.
The 25-hectare sanctuary at Mukundpur, 20km from Rewa, is currently home to only one white tiger, Vindhya. There are two others in an adjoining zoo. Locals in Rewa consider the white tiger — the colour of whose coat is the result of a genetic aberration — a part of the city's legacy. The first such big cat was spotted here by erstwhile king Martand Singh in 1951. The royal family named him Mohan, and he became "a pet, a family member", says Pushpraj Singh, Martand's son. Mohan's cubs were thereafter distributed to zoos in India and abroad. They were reportedly inbred to create a white tiger progeny. But they disappeared completely from Rewa in 1976. It has been a political issue since because locals associate it with their heritage and believe tourism revenue generated from their return can prove a turnaround for a parched city. The sanctuary was inaugurated by Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Javadekar said the sanctuary would bring a "7-star status" to Rewa and promised to set aside funds for a safari. Chouhan added that the project would bring jobs as tourists pour in.
Wildlife experts, though, have been critical of white tiger breeding, and believe it's a waste of money since it has no conservation value. Though the colour of the tiger's coat is admired by many, its camouflaging ability is actually compromised, they point out. "White tigers' are animals afflicted with a a condition known as leucism (partial lack of pigmentation), which can be compared to leucoderma in humans. It is seen in many species including chital and even crows. All the white tigers in captivity are result of systematic, repeated inbreeding of the progeny of a single wild male tiger captured in Rewa the 1950's. Secondly, releasing captive bred tigers into the wilds is an activity fraught with many risks, is expensive, demands massive resources. More often than not these experiments have failed going back over 30-40 years. Therefore, I think this project is not of high priority for deploying scarce resources available for tiger conservation," said K Ullas Karanth, noted tiger expert.
"The rest of the world decided a decade ago not to breed white tigers. Creating a sanctuary is just entertainment and fun," said Raghu Chundawat, a conservation biologist.
White tigers have been repeatedly inbred to preserve the colour of the coat, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums is strictly against breeding practices to increase the physical expression of rare traits "through intentional inbreeding". "...For example intentional breeding to achieve rare color-morphs such as white tigers, deer, and alligators, has been clearly linked with various abnormal, debilitating, and, at times, lethal conditions," it said in a paper. Ecologists also complain that while such projects are showcased, conservation is compromised elsewhere. The MP government recently cleared a large diamond mine inside prime forests near Panna. The MoEF's nod is awaited but, if cleared, the project may spell doom for tigers. The other concern is the Ken-Betwa river linking project that is likely to submerge a large part of the Panna habitat, and could be devastating for tigers and gharials in the region.
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), Maharashtra
Eco-friendly bridges in Telangana
S. Harpal Singh, Eco-bridges for the movement of tigers, July 18, 2017: The Hindu
Vegetation will camouflage fragmentation of forests along the Pranahita barrage
In a first of its kind, Telangana State will have eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra with the forests in Telangana's Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. The intervention requires the laying of fertile soil to grow grass and plants over the structure, so that fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.
The ‘eco-bridges’ will be constructed at key spots along the 72 km-long, and at some places over a kilometre wide, right flank canal of the Pranahita barrage in the Bejjur and Dahegaon mandals, according to Chief Engineer (Projects) K. Bhagwanth Rao.
One of the locations tentatively earmarked for the eco-bridge is a spot close to Sulgupalli in the Bejjur forest range. Here, the canal is over a kilometre wide and the need to facilitate the movement of wild animals is quite necessary.
The concept emerged after visits by experts from the Wildlife Board of India and the Wildlife Institute of India. They were concerned about the large-scale destruction of pristine forest along the corridor, which would result in cutting off tiger movement between TATR and Bejjur.
The Telangana Irrigation Department has given its consent for the construction of the eco-bridges. Recommendations on the size and locations of the bridges are awaited from the National Board of Wildlife, Mr. Rao said.
In recent years, big cats from the TATR have ambled into the mixed and bamboo forests of the Bejjur range via the Sirpur forests. The TATR and its buffer area, which are contiguous with the Sirpur forests, boast of a speedily multiplying tiger population, the cause of the frequent migration of tigers into Sirpur and Bejjur.
Tiger reserves in India: Valuation
Jan 22 2015
6 tiger reserves worth Rs 1.5L cr: Valuation study
Vishwa Mohan
In a first of its kind exercise, India has conducted economic valuation of six of its tiger reserves and placed their value at Rs 1,49,900 crore. The study has also noted that these six reserves have been generating annual monetary benefits worth Rs 7,970 crore. The six tiger reserves which were surveyed for this study are Corbett, Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambore and Sundarbans.
India has 47 tiger reserves covering over 2% of the area and approximately 10% of the recorded forest area. Latest tiger census shows that India -which is home to 70% of world's tiger population -has a total of 2,226 tigers.
The valuation study, executed by Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, at the behest of the environment ministry's National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), provides quantitative and qualitative estimates of benefits accruing from tiger reserves which include economic, social and cultural services.
“The study findings indicate that the monetary value of flow benefits emanating from selected tiger reserves range from Rs 830 crore to Rs 1,760 crore annually . In terms of unit area, this translates into Rs 50,000 to Rs 190,000 per hectare per year,“ said the summary of the report released simultaneously with the tiger census by the Union environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar.
Tracking Tiger
India Today.in , Counting the big cats,one photo at a time “India Today” 15/12/2016
1995
Tiger tracking
Counting the big cats,one photo at a time
How do you count the number of tigers in a jungle? Before 1995, the accepted method was for trackers and gamekeepers to enter the forest, and count the number of unique pug-marks that could be found. Aside from being imprecise and difficult to verify, such methods also put those who undertook such studies at great risk. In 1995, a Karnataka-based conservation zoologist, K. Ullas Karanth, suggested that instead of the laborious, once-every-five-years 'headcount' undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, camera traps and statistical models should be used. A camera trap is essentially a camera equipped with a motion sensor. After a network of such cameras has been installed in the forest, the data gathered is then put through a rigorous statistical analysis to produce an estimate of the tiger population.
Attacks by tigers
2012-15: 82 attacks
DNA India, 8 Mar 2016
82 incidents of tiger attacking human in 2012-15
Among these incidents, 28 have been reported in 2014-15, 33 in 2013-14 and 21 in 2012-13, he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
Javadekar said the National Tiger Conservation Authority has a multi-pronged strategy to deal with human-wildlife conflict including habitat interventions, restricting habitat interventions, material and logistical support besides others.
Based on the carrying capacity of tigers in a reserve forest, habitat interventions are restricted through an overarching Tiger Conservation Plan, he said.
In case tiger numbers are at carrying capacity levels, it is advised that habitat interventions should be limited so that there is no excessive spillover of wildlife, including tigers, thereby minimising man-animal conflict.
"Further, in buffer areas around tiger reserves, habitat interventions are restricted so that they are sub-optimal vis-a-vis the core tiger habitat areas, judicious enough to facilitate dispersal to other rich habitat areas," he said.
Javadekar said the central government through the National Tiger Conservation Authority has operationalised and funded setting up of Electronic Eye (E-eye) surveillance in Corbett and Kaziranga Tiger Reserves along with Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
Besides observing the movement of tigers and other animals, E-eye acts as an early warning system wherein movement of poachers and intruders can be viewed before they reach the sensitive areas of tiger reserves, thereby checking any wildife crime.
It also helps in monitoring dispersal of wild animals in human habitations. This facility may be replicated in other tiger reserves also, if needed, he said.
2017: Pilibhit tiger reserve, UP
A tigress killed six people within a 4km radius of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was tranquillised and taken to Lucknow zoo, another tiger mauled to death a 55-year-old woman on Thursday in the Mala forest range, about 30km from the last six killings.
Sub divisional officer of social forestry and in-charge officer of QRT (quick response team) KP Singh said Kalawati, of Mewatpur village, along with two others had gone into PTR to collect firewood when the tiger attacked and killed her between 2pm and 3pm.
Attacks on and deaths of tigers
Poaching: 2012-2014
The Times of India, May 15 2015
In 2012-14, poaching has resulted in the deaths of 74 tigers in the country. The data for poaching, including seizure of tiger organs, shows that 23 tigers, or about 31% of the total, were killed inside tiger reserves while 51 were killed outside these reserves. A state-wise analysis of the data shows that the highest number of tigers were killed in Maharashtra followed by Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, each of these states witnessing over 10 deaths in these three years Source: Ministry Of Environment, Forest And Climate Change, * including Telangana.
Poaching doubles in 2016
`29 tigers killed by poachers in 2016' Nov 23 2016 : The Times of India
Twenty-nine tigers were killed by poachers this year compared to 14 such deaths in 2015, environment minister Anil Madhav Dave told Lok Sabha on Tuesday . He added that 98 tiger deaths were reported in the country till November 16 2016.
Twenty-nine tigers out of the 98 died due to poaching and 32 due to natural causes.The remaining 37 cases are under scrutiny to ascertain the cause behind the death, Dave said. Last year, 78 tiger deaths were reported in India.Fourteen of them were killed by poachers.
Besides legal steps under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 which lays down punishment for hunting in tiger reserves, the minister cited the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which takes measures to protect tigers. He said financial and technical help was provided to states under various centrally-sponsored schemes.
Predators attacked, 2012-15
February 19, 2015
Man-eater killed by a joint Kerala-Tamil Nadu Special Task Force in the Gudalur forests along the Nilgiris-Wayanad border after attempts to tranquilise and relocate it for eight days failed. The tiger claimed two victims. National Tiger Conservation Authority norms were allegedly overlooked.
December 29, 2014
A relocated man-eater was killed in Khanapur Taluka of Belgaum, Karnataka, by the state Anti-Naxal Force after it mauled a pregnant woman in the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in Chikkamagaluru district.
August 20, 2014
Tiger shot dead in Chichpalli range of Chandrapur, Maharashtra, by sharpshooters. Seven people had been mauled to death by tigers in six months in Pombhurna village. There was dispute over whether the right man-eater was killed.
December 6, 2013bb
Man-eater was tranquilised and caged in Bandipur, Karnataka, by veterinarians tracking it. It had claimed three lives in surrounding villages. It has been relocated to the Mysore zoo.
5. December 2, 2012
Tiger was shot dead in a coffee plantation in Moolamkavu, Wayanad, by Special Task Force officers. Its victims were a dozen cattle. Maneka Gandhi claimed that the shooting was a "cause to wind up the Wildlife Department" as the tiger was not a man-eater.
2015 (Jan-July): Tiger deaths
The Times of India, Aug 12 2015
Neha Madaan
India loses 41 tigers in 7 mths
Poisoning by villagers, poachers' traps claiming big cats' lives
Tiger deaths persisted in the country despite the Union and state governments' efforts towards conservation. The country lost close to 41 tigers from January until August 9 this year, similar to the count in the same period in 2014, reveals data from National Tiger Conservation Authority and TRAFFIC-India, the wildlife trade monitoring network. The data revealed tigers are dying not just from natural causes, but are also being shot to death by authorities in case of man-animal conflicts.
According to the data, till August 9, 2014, Maharashtra reported three tiger deaths.Among these, one tiger was shot dead by sharp shooters of the Chandrapur police. The count of dead tigers in the state has reached five this year.
Vikas Kharge, secretary Revenue and Forest Department (Forests), told TOI that choosing actor Amitabh Bachchan as the ambassador for its tiger conservation projects is likely to have a positive outcome. “We are yet to finalize the modalities. He is a tiger lov er and his involvement in the project will have a unique appeal for the masses,“ he said.
Kharge added that incidents of tiger poaching have declined in Maharashtra due to an increase in the number of protection measures undertaken. “A special tiger protection force, comprising a team of 120 personnel, has been employed in each of the four reserves of the state. For locals' involvement in saving tigers, we have set up village eco-development committees for community participation in conservation of forest and tigers,“ he said.
States that have reported the maximum number of tiger deaths include Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
In 2014, another cause of death cited was poaching by poisoning using organophosphorous compounds. Other causes included cardio-respiratory failure and retaliatory killing by electrocution near Dhamokar at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, MP.
2016: Jan-June
The Times of India Jun 29, 2016
Avijit Ghosh
MP Fares The Worst With 19 Fatalities
At least 74 tigers died between January 1 and June 26 this year in India. Worryingly, there is also a spike in poaching-related fatalities as 2016 reaches its halfway mark, statistics collated from different parts of India by a well-known wildlife NGO shows. Among these, 14 tigers were electrocuted, poisoned or simply killed by poachers, and much of the carcass was recovered. Police and wildlife authorities also seized skins, bones, claws, skeletons, canines and paws of another 16 tigers during this period, taking the tally to 30, as per figures provided by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). It is possible that some of them might have been killed earlier but the deaths are accounted for only after the seizures.
Another 26 tigers were “found dead“, a category that includes mortality due to disease, old age or unexplained circumstances. Statistics shows the remaining 18 were victims of infighting (12), tiger-human conflict (2), road or train accidents (3) and fights with other animals (1).
In comparison, 26 tigers fell victim to poachers in the entire year of 2015, according to WPSI. Besides, there were 65 deaths due to other reasons as specified above, taking the overall tally to 91 last year.
However, tigernet.nic.in, a database on mortality of tigers and other key wildlife species across India, offers a different figure. The website puts the figure of tiger deaths so far this year at 52, with another 15 when seized body parts are taken into account. The database is a collaborative effort of the Natio nal Tiger Conservation Authority and TRAFFIC-India, a wildlife trade monitoring network. According to the national census in 2014, the number of tigers in India is 2,226 (minimum 1,945, maximum 2491).
A state-wise look at the 2016 figures indicates that the maxi mum number of deaths (19) occurred in Madhya Pradesh.Maharashtra and Uttarakhand take the second spot with nine fatalities each. Madhya Pradesh also has the highest number of recorded deaths on account of poaching: six.
WPSI records show that in the past three and a half years, tiger poaching and seizure of body parts have been reported from 15 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Among them, the majority of cases are from Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Wildlife experts feel intelligence-led enforcement operations are key to thwarting poaching. “We are lacking on this front. Most of the time our frontline staff in protected areas are not even aware of the modus operandi of poachers. International cooperation is necessary to break the criminal nexus and reduce the demand of end-products in China and south-east Asian countries,“ Tito Joseph of Wildlife Protection Society of India said.
Loss of habitat is another issue that ails tiger conservation.The big cat's habitat is now limited to “7% of its original range“, said conservation biologist Raghu Chundawat. “Poaching of the tiger is not the only reason for this (deaths). There are several issues and all these can be referred to as loss of the quality of tiger habitat. This can also include loss of prey , forest cover, connectivity etc,“ he added.
2016/ MP: 33 tigers killed
33 tigers killed in MP in 2016, Dec 30, 2016: The Times of India
An adult tigress was mowed to death by a speeding train in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district. The accident took place just 32km from the proposed Ratapani tiger reserve. With this, a total of 33 tigers have been killed in MP in 2016.
“It's very unfortunate. We had been requesting railways to slow down trains while passing through forest areas. I have asked officers to examine if there is a provision for taking legal action in such cases,“ said state's chief wildlife warden Jitendra Agrawal.
The Ratapani Sanctuary, spread over an areas of 435 sq km, was established in 1976. In 2008, the National Tiger Conservation Authority gave its inprinciple approval for the creation of a tiger reserve in the area, but the state government has not yet sent its final proposal to the Centre.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said, “Railway ministry has to help resolve the problem to stop such incidents,“ Dubey said.
2017, Feb.: Uttarakhand
Vineet Upadhyay, Uttarakhand sees second tiger death in two days, Feb 23, 2017: The Times of India
The body of an adult male tiger was found in Chhoi village of Ramnagar in Terai West forest division of Kumaon on Wednesday , the second instance of a big cat death in the state within two days. On Tuesday , a tiger estimated to be 10 years old, was found dead in the Chidiyapur range of Haridwar forest division. Wildlife activists alleged that the animal was poisoned by the Gujjar community living in the buffer zone of the range although forest officials claimed that the death was because of septicemia -a bacterial infection of the blood. Next day's death meanwhile was attributed to be a fall out of a territorial dispute between two tigers. “The findings of the post-mortem re port clearly indicate injuries inflicted in a territorial fight,“ said Subhash Chandra, divisional forest officer, Terai West. He added that the mating season for tigers was going on, and a fight may have broken out between the two tigers over a female.
Eyewitnesses said that injury marks of claws were found all over the half-decomposed body of the dead big cat and teeth marks could also be observed near its neck and forelimbs.
Since the beginning of this year, deaths of four adult tigers (including Wednesday's fatality) have been reported in separate incidents in the state.
Aggressive protection measures
BBC banned for 5 years
Vijay Pinjarkar, Kaziranga report gets BBC banned, Feb 28, 2017: The Times of India
Stung by a BBC documentary questioning India's aggressive protection measures at Kaziranga national park in Assam, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) that governs all tiger reserves in the country has imposed a ban on the network and its journalist Justin Rowlatt for five years.
As reported by TOI on February 15, BBC's South Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt's documentary titled `One World: Killing for Conservation' on Kaziranga's rhino conservation methods came in for sharp criticism from the Union environment ministry for being “grossly erroneous“.The documentary claimed forest guards in Kaziranga had been given powers to shoot and kill anyone they think was a threat to rhinos.
In a memorandum is sued on Monday , NTCA said BBC had failed to submit the documentary to MoEFCC and the MEA for obligatory previewing. It has asked chief wildlife wardens of all tiger range states and field directors of tiger reserves to disallow filming permission to BBC in any of the protected areas for a period of 5 years.
Seizure of tigers and parts
2000-2015: India recorded most seizures
records highest number of tiger seizure: Report, PTI | Nov 16, 2016
According to a report by wildlife trade monitor, India has recorded the highest number of seizure of tigers and parts among all 13 tiger range countries
The report said India has observed a rapid decrease in number of seizures reported since 2010.
The highest number of seizures was recorded in 2009 & the lowest in 2013.
KOCHI: India has recorded the highest number of seizure of tigers and parts among all 13 tiger range countries, accounting for 44 per cent, according to a report by wildlife trade monitor released.
Titled 'Reduced To Skin And Bones Re-Examined: Full Analysis', the report said such incidents of smuggling of tiger and tiger parts reveal failure of tiger range countries in ramping up enforcement, closing tiger farms and strengthening laws.
"India, the country with the highest population of wild tigers globally, also recorded the highest number of seizure - a minimum of 540 tigers seized over 16 years," said the report, which is a comprehensive analysis of 16 years.
The report prepared by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, has found all tiger range countries continued to grapple with the persistent problem of the big cat being removed from the wild and on ways to break the chains of supply and demand.
"During the 16-year period under review, India had recorded the greatest number of seizures of all tiger range countries, accounting for 44 per cent of the total. It reported seizure of a minimum of 540 tigers and a maximum of 622 tigers, the minimum accounting for 30 per cent of the total," it said.
The report, released on Wednesday on the eve of international conference on illegal wildlife trade being held in Hanoi, also said in contrast with the other countries, India has observed a rapid decrease in number of seizures reported since 2010.
The highest number of seizures was recorded in 2009 and the lowest in 2013.
"While the overall number of tigers seized has decreased, the proportion of skins seized remains a high proportion of the seizures but to a lesser degree," the report said, describing Indian scenario.
The report, which showed the location of all reported seizures in India with spot details and a map, has illustrated "three hotspots, the greatest comprising the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu".
It said these issues existed to varying degrees across all the 13 Tiger range countries scrutinized, evidenced by the minimum of 1,755 tigers seized from 2000-2015, an average of more than two animals per week.
Encroachment of land of forests is the biggest enemy of not only tigers but other species like Rhino ,Lion & Indian Bustard etc.
Kanitha Krishnasamy, Senior Programme Manager for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia and a co-author of the report, said laws in most countries are weak and without fundamental structures in place, success of any enforcement action is greatly undermined.
"Wild Tiger range countries must step up their game to beat the odds of extinction," Krishnasamy said.
Tiger disappearance
2004-09: Lack of space linked to tiger disappearance?
The Times of India, Mar 22, 2016
Jayashree Nandi
Tigers need much more space than our protected areas or tiger reserves provide for currently. While that's true for all wildlife, a recent study published this month in Biological Conservation journal has highlighted how lack of space could be linked to a fast disappearance of tigers from certain habitats, particularly tropical dry forest areas. Sariska and Panna tiger reserves, both tropical dry forests experienced complete extinction of tigers in 2004 and 2009; the study explains what may have led to their complete disappearance.
Some tigers have been re-introduced in Panna and Sariska.
The study documents the space requirements of tigers in Panna tiger reserve before the extinction of tigers only to find a major mismatch in scale of their ranges and the sanctuary size, which exposes tigers to various anthropogenic threats including poaching and retaliatory killings outside the boundary. The reason for such large home ranges of tigers in tropical dry forests is still being studied, authors said but could be linked to ecological factors like prey population, water or shade. The study involved field studies between 1996 and 2005 that monitored tiger movement through radio telemetry and direct sightings in the 543 sqkm area of Panna. Annual home ranges of both male and female tigers were estimated and then overlaid on the sanctuary area boundary revealing how home ranges often breached the sanctuary boundary. According to the authors, this is the first comprehensive study of tiger home ranges in a tropical dry forest area and one of the longest studies on tiger in the sub-continent. The study documented detailed information on six radio-collared tigers over a period of nine years. While conducting the nine-year observations, the team also found some intriguing features. For instance, "Male tiger territories were not exclusive as generally believed. Instead, it was observed that females mated with several males in addition to the territorial tiger. But the role of these non-territorial males can be important but little is known about these tigers," said Raghu Singh Chundawat, lead author of the study.
The team concluded that home range of breeding or nursing tigers extended beyond the boundary of the sanctuary.
In fact what happened in Panna and Sariska are a part of a larger trend, researchers warned. The largest tiger habitat in India is in tropical dry forest category. But the probability of survival of tigers in these areas is much lower than in other habitats like tropical moist forests, alluvial grasslands or mangroves. Interestingly, more than 85% of the sanctuaries located in tropical dry forests are way smaller than Panna and have either lost the tigers already or sit with high risk of tiger extinction.
Quite sad. Unfortunately, with the current environmental policies, or lack thereof, there doesn't seem to be any probability for the long term survival of tigers in India.
"The bottom line is that tigers need more space, and one may need to think out of the box, if tigers are to have a future in the already stressed landscapes," said Koustubh Sharma, co-author of the study. The study recommends that a straight forward solution to the problem will be to protect larger forest areas but that's a difficult proposition in human dominated areas. "Small patches embedded in large landscapes can be conserved as a series of stepping stones to interconnect populations," the study said.
The legal position
Movement of humans more important than tigers: SC
The Times of India, Jan 21 2016
Dhananjay Mahapatra
SC: Development more important than tigers
The Supreme Court said that the conservation of tigers was important but it could not be done at the cost of movement of human beings from one place to another and general economic development of the country . The court was critical of NGOs which rush to challenge development projects, in this case four-laning of the 37-km-stretch of NH-7 between Nagpur and Jabalpur passing through Pench tiger reserve.
The issue had led to a tug of war between the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court, which had suo motu taken up the issue of widening of NH-7, and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which claimed to have sole jurisidiction over environ mental issues. Both passed orders that ran counter to each other, leaving the officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in a Catch-22 situation. If they obeyed one, they committed contempt of another.
The SC settled the conflict and said the HC would be the forum to deal with the roadwidening issue. A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi was highly critical of NGOs, including Conservation Action Forum, which had challenged the road-widening project on the ground that it would seriously impede the traditional migration routes of tigers in the reserve.
The bench said, “Tigers are important. But what happens to the movement of traffic? It is not the first time that a national highway is passing through a reserved forest. We are for protecting tigers.“
“Have you all filed any PIL against poaching? Why don't you go and work with those people working at the ground level to protect tigers from poachers? You jump to litigation whenever there is a development project. File a PIL on how to prevent poaching. Real danger to tiger is not from road traffic but poachers,“ the bench said.
Uttarakhand
Do not kill man-eating tigers, leopards: HC
The Hindu, December 20, 2016
Please see: Leopards: India
After a tigress was declared a ‘man-eater’ and killed in Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar area, the Uttarakhand High Court on Monday ordered that no wild animals in the State, including tigers, leopards, and panthers, should be killed or declared ‘man-eater’.
“No wild animals including tigers, leopards and panthers shall be declared man-eater or rogue and killed in entire State of Uttarakhand,” the Division Bench comprising Justice Alok Singh and Justice Rajiv Sharma stated.
The Court further ordered that the wild animals who posed a threat to human life must be “captured alive by using a tranquilliser gun in the presence of a veterinary doctor. The captured animal shall be thereafter released in the nearby forest or kept in a zoo temporarily and thereafter released in its own habitat”.
Since most of the killings of man-eating leopards and tigers are done by the State forest department, which hires professional hunters for the task, the High Court stated that no private hunters could now be hired by the State government.
Also, after several instances where elephants have been killed due to electrocution, the HC directed the Railway Ministry to “dig up trenches around the electric poles along the railway track in Rajaji National Park, and also to insulate the electric poles by raising a fence to avoid electrocution.”
Famous tigers
The Times of India, 14 Jul, 2015
Tigers like Ranthambore's T24 have been hitting headlines of late for attacking humans. Here are famous big cats from around the country.
Machli
One of Ranthambore National Park’s most famous tigers, Machli (T16) has been the subject of a number of documentaries and films and received a clutch of awards. She’s known as the ‘Queen of Ranthambore’ and the ‘Lady of the Lakes’ and once dominated the entire jungle. A You Tube video of her battling and vanquishing a 14ft mugger has more than 5 million views. She’s now 19 years old, weak, toothless and possibly blind in one eye, and the park officials feed her to keep her alive.
Munna
Kanha Tiger Reserve’s most famous residents is a tiger called Munna, who can quite easily be identified by his stripes. The marks on his forehead seem to spell out ‘CAT’ and tiger lovers say the ‘PM’ below stands for prime male. Munna has a reputation for following safari vehicles until they pull off the track.
Bamera Male
The son of Bandhavgarh National Park’s best known tiger B2 or Sundar, who died in 2011, this dominant tiger is known only as Bamera male. The story is that he left the reserve he was born in but returned a few years later to battle his father and take it over.
Shivaaji
One of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve’s most famous big cats is the dominant male, Shivaaji. The 13-year-old tiger, known for his bulk and aggression, can usually be seen in a 50sqkm area of the southern I Kolsa range of the park.
Behaviour (of tigers)
Maternal instincts among tigresses
The Times of India, Jun 29 2016
Vijay Pinjarkar
Wildlife experts say tigresses are caring mothers, separating from their cubs only when sure they can take care of themselves, around the age of 17-24 months. However, a popular tigress in Maharashtra's Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), courting a male for the better part of last week after deserting her three one-year-old cubs, has challenged established ideas about big cats and left experts bewildered.Her anomalous behaviour has set off feverish discussions about her possible motivation, with some experts suggesting the mating may be a mother's ploy to distract the male from attacking her cubs, a two males and one female.
Bilal Habib, a scientist with Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, said though unusual, areas with a high tiger density have been witnessing such incidents.“Maya's territory overlaps with that of four males. Mating with them is the best strategy she could have adopted to save her cubs,“ he added, “Had Maya been defiant, her cubs and she could have either been harmed or killed by the other males.“
TATR chief conservator of forests and field director G P Garad backed the view.
According to recent reports, a male tiger named Matkasur is said to have attacked one of the cubs. Naturalist Himanshu Bagde had seen the adult male trailing Maya on June 10 from a water hole. When Bagde reached Pandharpaoni, where Maya lives, Matkasur had charged at one of the cubs, which has not been seen since. Later, Maya was sighted with another male, Gabbar, at the waterhole. There, Matkasur and Gabbar had a fight. The former conceded defeat and moved to the Kosekanar area. After that, for four days, Maya was seen mating with Gabbar. “All I can say is it is evident that there is so much that we don't know about the social behaviour of tigers,“ said Shekar Dattari, a wildlife film-maker.
Project Tiger
1973: Project Tiger
India Today December 29, 2008
The Rs 230-lakh Project Tiger was a Union Government and the World Wildlife Fund joint endeavour in 1973, to check immediate threats to the national animal. “It registered a marked increase in most animal populations in the first decade” (India Today, December 1983). With 1,550 sq km under its canopy, including 15 sanctuaries and national parks, the project cordoned off a third of this land for conservation activities and demarcated the rest as a buffer area, relocating the villages around.
2016-17: increased funding
The Times of India, Mar 02, 2016
Amit Bhattacharya, Vishwa Mohan & Indranil Basu
In the biggest budgetary boost for the tiger in recent years, the Centre has hiked its allocation for Project Tiger by nearly 80% for the coming fiscal year, utilising funds collected from the cess on coal, lignite and peat. The Union Budget has approved an allocation of Rs 300 crore for Project Tiger for 201617, up from Rs 168 crore the project had received in the current year. The enhanced funding will come from the `clean energy cess', which the government, in its Budget, increased from Rs 200 per tonne to Rs 400. It has also been renamed the `clean environment cess'.
The cess, to be deposited in what will now be called the national clean environment fund, will be used not only to develop renewable energy sources, but also to fund various environment protection measures, including Project Tiger, wildlife conservation, abatement of river pollution etc.
Allocations for the tiger had been slashed by 13% in the last Budget, leading to accusations by wildlife activists that the Modi government was neglecting the conservation of the striped cat.
The huge increase in funds for 2016-17, however, comes with a catch. The finance ministry has stuck to the condi tion, introduced last year, that the respective states contribute 40% of the non-recurring expenditure on tiger reserves.
As per the earlier funding pattern, the Centre provided 100% of non-recurring expenses -which includes compensation for villagers relocated from tiger habitats, equip ment for the special tiger protection force etc -while the recurring costs were shared equally by the Union government and the state where the tiger reserve is located.
“During 2015-16, many states were caught unawares by the change in funding, and crucial projects couldn't be implemented.With the enhanced funding, both the Centre's and the states' share will increase.Which means, states with tiger reserves should prepare to increase their allocations,“ a source said.
An official said Project Ti ger funds for the next fisca would also be used to host the next Asia ministerial confer ence on tiger conservation here. The three-day meet will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 12.
According to the 2014 tiger census, India has 2,226 tigers with the three southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala of the Western Ghats landscape recording nearly one-third of the coun try's big cats.
India has over the years re corded an increase in its tiger population. If one compares the 2014 figure with that re corded in 2006, the increase across the country has been phenomenal with over 800 more tigers recorded two years ago. The country had 1,411 ti gers in 2006, with 1,706 record ed four years later in 2010.
