Chennai: It is heartening to note that the tiger population has registered an increase in the country, indicating the success of efforts of conservation of the wild cat. Yet, there is no excitement as the threat to the national animal continues unabated from poaching and shrinking habitat, resulting in frequent man-animal conflicts.
On the eve of International Tiger Day, the Union Environment Ministry released data on the 2018 tiger census, which reveals that the number of endangered felines had shot up from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018. This accounts for 70 per cent of the global tiger population.
Home to 51 tiger reserves located across 18 states, the tiger census in 2018 is a shot in the arm for forest officials and wildlife protection. Releasing the data, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday the five zones engaged in the conservation of tigers in the country are -- Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains Landscape, Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats Landscape, North East Hills and Brahmaputra plains Landscape and the Sunderbans.
According to the tiger census report in 2018, Madhya Pradesh is leading with a total of 526 wild cats, while Karnataka comes a close second with 524. Similarly, Maharashtra had a population of 317 and Tamil Nadu recorded 264. Further, the report said, the total forest area is 712,249 sq km (71.22 million hectares), which is 21.67 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. In this, tree cover is 807,276 sq km (80.73 million hectares), which is 24.56 per cent of the total geographical area.
Meanwhile, wildlife activists argue that there should be no room for complacency on the conservation front since India could have more tiger population. According to them, unlike in the previous years, tigers are largely poached in the reserve forests. They also urged the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to instruct forest departments in the States to keep a vigil on the national animal.
"While we celebrate International Tiger Day every July 29, we ought to realize that the endangered feline is on the cusp of extinction. Its habitat is being foolishly destroyed by the government, which is steeply inclined towards its lofty goals of increasing GDP, " Joseph Hoover, a wildlife activist, told ETV Bharat. He also pointed out that the tiger is being poached even in the core of its habitat, as in Nagarhole tiger reserve where five poachers strolled into the Kalhalla range and killed a tiger that was in its prime. Further, the NTCA has very little control over states with tiger reserves, as policy issues are the union ministry's prerogative and implementation is vested with the concerned State forest departments. Adding to the woes is public apathy and insensitivity since people react only when there is a tiger death. We make noise only when there is another tiger incident,” he added.
Similarly, Vijay Krishnaraj, coordinator of the United Conservation Movement, expressed the apprehension that Tamil Nadu might witness a sharp decline in the tiger population if poaching is not handled with an iron hand. The Nilgiris forest range, located in Tamil Nadu has three Reserve Forests including Nilgiris, Gudalur, and Mudumalai.
"Of this Mudumalai is a declared tiger reserve which is spread over 321 sq km with a buffer of around 623 sq km where approximately 70 to 80 adult tigers are recorded. While the core and buffer of MTR have around 30 wild cats, the upper plateau and Gudalur have an equal number. The first synchronized tiger census was held in 2010 and 2012 after which MTR was declared as the best tiger reserve in India. But, in the last two years, a bunch of tigers including two adult tigers were poisoned," he explained, adding that if such incidents continued, conservation in the Southern state would take a hit.
Also read: Tiger population soars in Ranthambore national park
