The number
of India's once endangered tigers has increased significantly in the last two
years thanks to conservation efforts. The relocation of the threatened animals
to new habitats is proving to be beneficial.
India has
been under intense international scrutiny over its tiger conservation efforts,
as the country is home to over half of the world's estimated 3,200 tigers in
its 41 reserves and national parks. The illegal hunting of tigers in the first
half of the last decade was a cause of worry for the Indian wildlife officials.
In 2005, the Indian National Tiger Conservation Authority decided to step in
and intensified its efforts to conserve the animals.
In 2004,
the population of Indian tigers at Rajasthan's Sariska National Park was on the
verge of extinction due to poaching. After the tiger translocation program -
which commenced in 2008 - the park has now 10 big cats, including two cubs and
five female tigers, which have been relocated from the nearby Ranthambhore
Park.
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| The number of tiger deaths in 2012 due to poaching left officials troubled |
Doubling
efforts
Inspired by
the efforts made by the Sariska Tiger Foundation, the central Indian state of
Madhya Pradesh recently translocated some tigers to the Panna Reserve, where no
big cat had previously survived.
"The
only two places where the tiger translocation program has been successful are
the Panna Reserve and Sariska. There are around 28 tigers at Panna now,"
said Koustubh Sharma, a wildlife conservationist.
Sharma, who
has been involved in the radio-collaring program for tigers at the Panna
Reserve, told DW that big cats would breed more frequently, if they received
proper protection and the right kind of prey base.
At a time
when the poaching of tigers was at its peak, the Indian authorities somehow
managed to reverse the trend, thus enabling the tigers to make a successful
comeback. As a result, the number of tigers in the northern state of Bihar has
also doubled in the last three years, say wildlife experts say, adding that
other countries can take inspiration from India in this regard.
Strong
demand for tiger parts
Experts,
however, believe that despite the increase in the tiger population, there is no
room for complacency as the poachers are also looking for innovative ways to
hunt down the animals.
China has
become the biggest marketplace for tiger parts in the world. Driven by strong
demand from traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, the body parts fetch
high prices on the black market. While tiger bones sell for about 1,000 US
dollars per 100 grammes, prices for tiger skins can range from 11,000 to 21,000
US dollars.
In light on
this development, Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection Society, calls for
swift action: "India has not stood up to China on this issue. This needs
to be discussed at all international forums."
Tiger
reserves
In July
2012, the Indian Supreme Court banned tourists from entering the core reserves
of tiger sanctuaries in a move it thought would help curb poaching. But this
ban was subsequently lifted with the court asking every state to prepare
detailed tiger conservation plans.
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| Tiger parts fetch high prices on the black market |
"The
radio-collars around the tigers' necks have helped us monitor their movement.
We can now tell if a tiger saunters into human territory," said Durrani.
"This initiative will help put an end to the tussle between humans and
tigers," the wildlife expert hopes.
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