DOES TIGER HAVE A FUTURE?

Observations from April-May 2010 Trip

2010-06-12T18:44:00.000+01:00

I spent six weeks in April-May visiting different tiger reserves across India. I started at Ranthambhore in Rajasthan followed by Bandhavgarh and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh, Tadoba in Maharastra, and ending with Nagarhole in Karnataka. Apart from some exciting tiger sightings, this trip provided a very good opportunity to compare the different reserves in terms of problems and issues affecting India’s wildlife. In the next few series of blogs I aim to put my thoughts on what I observed and experienced.

The reserves ranged from some very well known reserves in the world to some of the lesser known, but equally fascinating ones. From tiger conservation perspective, there are many practice and management variations among the reserves, which often have significant impact on the efforts to save the tiger. Within the complexities of India’s political system, it is difficult to imagine a concerted and common approach across the country.

The situation with tiger gets more worrying day by day. Though the denial attitude generally adopted by the authorities in relation to status of tigers appears to have changed, it is yet to transform into a consistent and proactive approach in the efforts to saving the tiger. Beginning from the centre to the state government and the forest department, everyone appears to blame the other for the problems without a clear desire to work together. The bureaucracy and the habits to create barriers against people working to save the wildlife still remain as before.

On the other hand large number of wildlife lovers and enthusiasts seem to find it easy to focus the blame on the government, more particularly the minister in charge of the environment and forests. I accept that as the person tasked for driving the environmental policy, he or she is ultimately responsible for the sad state of affairs. However, it would be naïve to assume that in a government made up of people with different interests and agendas, one person can make a difference or change the approach. We, the wildlife lovers and others with similar interests, need to recognise the limitations of the political system and work towards identifying ways to work with and around it. If we want the tiger and its habitat to have a viable future, instead of the finger pointing at the authorities, we need to use it with the remaining fingers in making a difference by positive action in and around the country. We also need to learn to work with like minded people and groups instead of creating ideological or other barriers.

Can the tiger have a future in today's world?

2010-02-04T23:16:00.000Z

India's tiger population has fallen to the lowest level in history. The drop from 50,000 at the beginning of 20th century to around 1400 animals today does not bode well for the tiger. The population was even higher during 1970s when worldwide concern and the foresight of some political leaders led to the launch of Project Tiger. The number of protected areas has gone up but the tiger population in them has declined significantly.

Lack of political will, corruption and threats by powerful individuals or corporations greatly hinder tiger conservation efforts. Forestry officials are coerced to overlook the regulations and controls over forested areas while the exploitation of natural resources goes unchecked.

There are no incentives for people responsible for protecting the forests and wildlife. A tiger can fetch around £18000 - £21000 in the illegal market. However, the forest guard given the responsibility of protecting the tiger and its habitat earn less than £10 a month. Often their living conditions are appalling. They are expected to risk their lives to protect the nation’s resources and heritage, but are not able to provide for the basic needs of their families. The resulting fall in morale and dedication gives an open licence to poachers, land grabbers and squatters.

Similarly, communities residing around the protected areas and forests not only face a threat from wild animals, but more importantly, lack a reliable source of livelihood. In most of the areas they do not perceive any direct and immediate benefit in saving the tiger or other wildlife.

The result of all these has been a rapidly disappearing tiger population and deforestation. It seems that as India has adopted modernisation and technological advancement, it has lost the ability to safeguard it natural heritage and resources.

WHY THE TIGER

2010-01-29T00:06:00.003Z

It is estimated that less than 1500 wild tigers remain in India today. This is in contrast to 50,000 tigers thought to have existed at the start of 20th century. Poaching, loss of habitat, and human-wildlife conflicts have reduced the numbers to a critical level. Estimates suggest that one tiger is killed every day, at which rate they will be extinct from India within a decade.

As India’s national animal, the tiger’s importance was recognised thousands years ago by our ancestors when they associated it with Goddess Durga. Goddess Durga protects humanity from evil and misery, and the tiger, as her vehicle, delivers good fortune. Symbolically, Durga represents the mother earth, while the tiger is the protector of the earth’s resources.

As a top predator, the tiger is a key indicator of the state of the environment, particularly the forests. These forests, while acting as the lungs and filters of the planet, are very important water catchment areas. They are also home to thousands of economically and medically important species. Apart from increased frequency of natural disasters like droughts and floods, removal of forest cover would seriously limit fresh water availability, which soon will be the most essential natural resource. With 70% of India’s population based in rural areas and dependent on agriculture in some manner, these will have very serious consequences. The wildlife reserves under “Project Tiger”, comprising just around 1% of India’s total area, are important water catchment areas and also play an extremely vital role in controlling soil erosion and floods while maintaining soil fertility. If the Tiger population flourishes, then we can be sure that the forests will remain safe as a bastion of bio-diversity, and the essential ecological processes such as water, nutrient and the climate cycles remain unaffected.

Our own survival as a species is the reason why we must save the tiger. The strategy must be on saving the tiger and its habitat by making it beneficial for the local people. The focus must be on conservation and sustainable management of tiger’s habitat in order to benefit future generations and us.

We build grand temples or make generous offerings in the name of religion to flaunt our power and achievements or in the hope of some divine blessings. We worship gods-goddesses in the hope of prosperity and eternal peace, but destroy their creations or symbols, such as tigers (Durga), elephants (Ganesh), monkeys (Hanuman), etc. What would be a greater gift to our creator, protecting our living heritage or building grand monuments for false pride and glory?