Tiger Density in India: – INSIGHTSIAS

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GS Paper 3:

Topics Covered: Conservation related issues.

 

Context:

Preliminary findings of a study by the Wildlife Institute of India(WII) suggest that the density of tigers in the Sunderbans may have reached the carrying capacity of the mangrove forests, leading to frequent dispersals and a surge in human-wildlife conflict.

  • This high density will force tigers to move out of forests in search for new areas. Recently, around eight tigers have entered into villages in Sunderbans and all of them were captured and released into the wild.

 

Capacity:

  • In Terai and Shivalik hills habitat — Corbett tiger reserve, for example — 10-16 tigers can survive in 100 sq km.
  • This comes down to 7-11 tigers per 100 sq km in the reserves of north-central Western Ghats such as Bandipur.
  • According to the 2018 All-India Tiger report, the carrying capacity in the Sunderbans is at around 4 tigers per 100 sq km.

 

Factors that determine tiger density:

  • Availability of food and space.
  • Tolerance levels exhibited by the locals who live around them to policymakers who decide management strategies.

 

Causes for human wildlife conflict:

Physical (space) and biological (forest productivity) factors have an obvious influence on a reserve’s carrying capacity of tigers. More so when different land uses overlap and a good number of people depend on forest resources for livelihood.

 

What is the way ahead to avoid conflict in tiger density areas?

  • Artificially boosting the prey base in a reserve.
  • Tiger corridors: Create safe connectivity among forests and allow tigers to disperse safely to new areas.

 

Key facts related to tiger population:

  1. As per the World Wide Fund for Nature, the number of tigers dropped by 95 per cent over the past 150 years.
  2. India is the land of royal tigers and current tiger population stands at 2967 which is 70 per cent of the global tiger population.
  3. Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
  4. Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, Bhoorsingh the Barasingha.

 

Conservation efforts- National and Global:

  1. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has launched the M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status), a mobile monitoring system for forest guards.
  2. At the Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010, leaders of 13 tiger range countries resolved to do more for the tiger and embarked on efforts to double its number in the wild, with a popular slogan ‘T X 2’.
  3. The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) program of the World Bank, using its presence and convening ability, brought global partners together to strengthen the tiger agenda.
  4. Over the years, the initiative has institutionalised itself as a separate entity in the form of the Global Tiger Initiative Council (GTIC), with its two arms –the Global Tiger Forum and the Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program.
  5. The Project Tiger, launched way back in 1973, has grown to more than 50 reserves amounting to almost 2.2% of the country’s geographical area.

 

Protection Status:

  1. Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
  2. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Endangered.
  3. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I.

 

Current Affairs

 

Insta Curious:

Did you know that the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 has entered the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey? How is tiger survey carried out in India? Reference

 

India’s 14 Tiger Reserves got Global CA/TS recognition for good Tiger Conservation. What does the accreditation of the Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS)? Reference

 

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. Differences between National Parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves.
  2. M-STrIPES is related to?
  3. What is GTIC?
  4. When was project tiger launched?
  5. NTCA- composition and functions.
  6. Why the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018 entered Guinness Record book recently?
  7. State with highest number of tigers.
  8. State with highest tiger density.

Mains Link:

The centrality of tiger agenda is an ecological necessity for the sustainability of our environment. In this context, examine the steps taken by India to conserve tigers?

Sources: Indian Express.

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