EDITORIALS & ARTICLES

TIGERS - PPP 100 - PRELIMS 2024 - 4

According to an updated analysis of the 2022 tiger census released recently, India’s tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022, from 2,967 in 2018.

All India Tiger Estimation 2022:

  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • Trends in Tiger Population:
    • Mizoram, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh, and Arunachal Pradesh — have reported “disquieting trends”.
    • India is home to approximately 75 percent of the world’s tiger population.
    • Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number (785) of tigers in the country, followed by Karnataka (563)Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444).
    • The number of tigers “within the tiger reserve” is highest in Corbett (260), followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135), Mudumalai(114), Kanha (105).
    • Increase: Central India, the Shivalik Hills, and the Gangetic plains witnessed increases in tiger population, particularly in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra.
    • Decrease: Western Ghats experienced localized declines, needing targeted monitoring and conservation efforts. 
  • Approximately 35% of the tiger reserves urgently required enhanced protection measures, habitat restoration, ungulate (deer, chital, blackbuck) augmentation, and subsequent tiger reintroduction.

Methodology used in all India Tiger Estimation:

  • Double Sampling Methodology: It involves ground surveys of all tiger bearing forests, estimating prey abundance, understanding habitat characteristics, mapping other tiger signs, and camera trap pictures of tigers.

Protection Status of Tiger:

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

Facts– Tiger

  • Tigers are the largest specimen in the cat family.
  • There are eight subspecies of tiger- Royal Bengal, Indo-Chinese, Sumatran, Amur or Siberian, South China, Caspian, Java, and Bali. Caspian, Java, and Bali tigers have been hunted to extinction.
  • Tiger chooses the lowlands and is frequently seen in grasslands, swamps, and mangroves. The Bengal mangrove ecosystem is a rich habitat for royal Tigers and they have adapted by being fervent swimmers.
  • Till 1972, the Lion was the national animal of India.
  • The Royal Bengal Tiger, ‘majestic creature’ was conferred as the national animal on November 18, 1972
  • The Tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
  • Nagpur is known as the ‘Tiger Capital of India’
  • Scientific Name:Panthera tigris
  • Indian Sub Species: Panthera tigris tigris.
  • Habitat:
    • Its habitat stretches from Siberian temperate forests to subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent and Sumatra.
    • It is the largest cat species and a member of the genus Panthera.
    • Traditionally eight subspecies of tigers have been recognized, out of which three are extinct.
      • Bengal Tigers:Indian Subcontinent
      • Caspian tiger:Turkey through central and west Asia (extinct).
      • Amur tiger:Amur Rivers region of Russia and China, and North Korea
      • Javan tiger:Java, Indonesia (extinct).
      • South Chinatiger: South central China.
      • Bali tiger:Bali, Indonesia (extinct).
      • Sumatran tiger:Sumatra, Indonesia.
      • Indo-Chinese tiger:Continental south-east Asia.
    • Protection Status:
      • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
      • International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Endangered.
      • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):Appendix I.
    • Tiger Reserves in India
      • Total Number:53 according to NTCA.
      • Largest:Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh on the basis of core area.
      • Smallest: Orang tiger reserve in Assam on the basis of core area.

Black Tigers in Similipal Tiger Reserve

    The Indian government informed the Rajya Sabha that there are 10 black tigers (melanistic tigers) in India, all of which are exclusively found in Odisha''s Similipal tiger reserve.

  • Black Tigers are not a distinct species but a rare colour variant of Bengal Tiger. The coat colour and patterning of black tigers are due to a single mutation in the Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep) gene.This mutation is called pseudo-melanism.
  • Similipal Tiger Reserve was designated in 1956,part of Project Tiger since 1973, and declared a biosphere reserve in 1994.
    • It is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reservesand the Similipal-Kuldiha-Hadgarh Elephant Reserve popularly known as Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve.
    • Similipal is rich in wildlife, housing tigers, elephants, different bird and amphibian species.
    • Two tribes, Erenga Kharias and Mankirdias, inhabit Similipaland engage in traditional agricultural activities.

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

  • IBCA is launched for conservation of seven big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma harbouring our planet.
  • Its members include 97 countries that are home to these big cats and other interested parties.
  • The IBCA will engage in advocacy, partnerships, capacity building, eco-tourism, and finance tapping.
  • It will also disseminate information and create awareness among its members.

Tiger Landscapes of India:

  • Shivalik Hills and the Gangetic Plains
  • Central India
  • Eastern Ghats
  • Western Ghats
  • North-Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Plains
  • Sunderbans

 Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE)

On 9 April 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the summary report of the fifth round of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) in Mysore, Karnataka, ranking Satpura Tiger Reserve second and Kanha Reserve fifth among the top 5 tiger reserves in the country''s 51 tiger reserves. The position has been obtained.

  • It is worth mentioning that the first place was held by the Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala. Its Management Effectiveness Evaluation Score stood at 94.38%. On the other hand, Satpura Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh and Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka stood in third place. Both had a Management Effectiveness Evaluation score of 93.18%.
  • Apart from this, the Kanha Tiger Reserve of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh has got the fifth rank and the Pench Tiger Reserve of Seoni has got the eighth rank.
  • Satpura Tiger Reserve has got this rank due to better management, work, and a better team.
  • Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan) and Ranipur Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh) notified in the year 2022 have not been included in this report. Presently there are a total of 53 tiger reserves in the country.
  • Significantly, Management Effectiveness and Evaluation is a third-party assessment, which releases its survey data once in 4 years. In the survey, the assessment team assesses the level of documentation, fieldwork, field staff and interactions with field staff & stakeholders, wildlife enhancement, protection and management systems.
  • The community, streamlining tourism, good infrastructure for both the park and the animals, as well as active wildlife management, are some of the parameters on which the park is judged.
  • Satpura Tiger Reserve
    • Satpura Tiger Reserve located in the Narmadapuram district is spread over 2130 square kilometres. It is part of the Deccan bio-geographic region. This is the country''s oldest forest wealth full of unprecedented natural beauty, which has been preserved with great effort.
    • Some species of flora found in the Himalayan region and some species found in the forests of the south are also found in abundance in the forest area of Satpura Tiger Reserve. Some species like insectivorous Ghatparni, Bamboo, Hisalu, and Daruhaldi are found both in Satpura and the Himalayas.
    • There are 50 rock shelters in the hill range of Satpura which are between 1500 to 10 thousand years old. Along with natural importance, they also have archaeological importance. Thus the Satpura Tiger Reserve is the soul of the ecosystem of the central region of the country.
    • There are also plants like acai vat, and wild jasmine, which are not found elsewhere or very rarely. Apart from flora, there are 14 such wild animals whose life is in danger today, yet their habitat remains here, such as flying squirrels.
    • Satpura Tiger Reserve is famous for the presence of tigers and their breeding area. This reserve is one of the areas in central India with a good presence of tigers.
    • 17 percent of the country''s tiger population and 12 percent of the tiger habitat area comes from Satpura.
    • The Satpura Tiger Reserve in a way forms a bridge of wildlife presence between the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. It is also an ideal habitat for Malabar Whistling Thrush i.e Oyster Bird, Dudhraj, Malabar Pied Hornbill i.e Dhanesh Bird.

Challenges:

  • Poaching: Poaching is driven by tiger parts used in traditional Chinese medicines, tiger skin is used for decorative and medicinal purposes.
    • Further, their demand for organs are big hurdles to survival.
  • Habitat Loss: The  fragmentation of tiger habitats due to human activities such as agriculture, logging, and infrastructure development continue to threaten tiger populations and give rise to Tiger-Human conflicts.
  • Lack of resources: The resources available for the management and protection of tiger reserves are limited.
  • Climate change: Climate change may affect tiger habitats, prey availability, and other aspects of tiger ecology, which could further threaten tiger populations in the long term.

Benefits of Conserving Tigers:

  • Umbrella Species: Tiger is an “umbrella species” which ensures viable populations of other wild animals (co-predators, prey) and forest, thereby ensuring the ecological viability of the entire area and habitat,
  • Food Chain: It is a top predator which is at the apex of the food chain and keeps the population of wild ungulates in check, thereby maintaining the balance between herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed.
  • Tourism: Tigers are an iconic species and attract a large number of tourists to protected areas. Ecotourism generates income for local communities and contributes to the economy.
  • Carbon sequestration: Tiger habitats, particularly forests, are important for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. 
    • Conserving these habitats helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow down the pace of climate change.

Indian initiatives to Protect Tiger:

  • Project Tiger: It was launched in 1973 from  Jim Corbett National Park, Uttrakhand.
    • It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of MoEFCC, for creating a network of Tiger reserves and providing central assistance to tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves in India. 
    • The project is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
  • Tiger Census: The Government conducts a national tiger census every four years to estimate the tiger population in the country.
  • Tiger Conservation Plan: It is a document mandated under Section 38 V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for each tiger reserve, which prescribes management interventions for the said tiger reserve.
    • Core Plan
    • Buffer Plan
    • Adjoining Area/Corridor Plan
    • A Tiger Conservation Plan consists of three parts namely:
  • Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards: CA|TS is a comprehensive system that will provide a reference point to evaluate the existing management effectiveness of tiger conservation within integrated landscape planning, and ensure that benefits from these efforts are optimized.
  • Community Reserves: The Government has also established Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves to protect critical tiger habitats outside of the designated tiger reserves.
  • Lidar-based survey technology is being used to deal with the challenge of human-animal conflict that was causing the death of animals.
  • M-STrIPES (Monitoring system for tigers – intensive protection and ecological status): It uses GPS to geotag photo-evidences and survey information of tiger.
  • CaTRAT (Camera Trap data Repository and Analysis Tool) for automated segregation of camera trap photographs to species.

Global Initiatives to Protect Tiger:

  • Global Tiger Forum(GTF): Established in 1994, the Global Tiger Forum is the only inter-governmental body for tiger conservation. 
    • Its membership includes seven tiger range countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam. 
  • Global Tiger Initiative(GTI): It was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector with the aim of working together to save wild tigers from extinction.
  • St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation: It was adopted In 2010, by the leaders of 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) assembled at an International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
    • 13 tiger range countries – India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Way Forward:

  • Minimize man-animal conflict: The National Tiger Conservation Authority has issued SOPs to deal with emergencies arising due to straying of tigers in human dominated landscapes.
    • These SOPs provide a structured framework for the implementation of tiger conservation initiatives which  include monitoring, protection, habitat management.
  • Habitat Protection and Restoration: Tigers need large areas of forest to live and hunt, so protecting and restoring their habitat is crucial to their survival.
  • Anti-Poaching Efforts: Anti-poaching efforts involve monitoring tiger populations and cracking down on illegal wildlife trade.
    • Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) is a force raised on lines of the India Reserve Battalion. It is deployed in Tiger Reserves for focused anti-poaching operations. 
  • Conflict Mitigation: As human populations grow and encroach on tiger habitat, conflicts between people and tigers can arise. 
    • Efforts to mitigate these conflicts can include measures such as relocating problem tigers or providing compensation to people who have lost livestock or crops to tigers.
  • Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the importance of tiger conservation and the threats facing tiger populations is key to building support for conservation efforts.

 National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):

  • NTCA is a statutory body established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
  • Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Merger of Project Tiger and Project Elephant:

  • Project Tiger and Project Elephant have been merged into a new division called the ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’ under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  • Reason for Merger:
    • Rationalizing of Funding: The unification of Project Tiger and Project Elephant has been done to rationalize funding.
    • Amalgamation to Strengthen Conservation: The amalgamation will bolster the conservation of both the animals, as they often share the same landscapes in the country.

Rare golden tiger snapped in Kaziranga  

A wildlife photographer recently captured an image of a tiger with a golden coat during a safari in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.  

1) A golden tiger (also known as a golden tabby tiger) is a Bengal tiger exhibiting a color variation resulting from a recessive gene.  

2) The golden tiger’s coloring originates from a recessive trait known as ‘wideband,’ which influences the production of black pigments during the hair growth cycle.  

3) Golden tigers are not a separate subspecies but rather a result of genetic variation within Bengal tigers.  

4) They are exceptionally rare in the wild and even rarer in captivity.  

Kaziranga National Park  

1) Location: It is located in the State of Assam. It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.

 2) UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Park was declared as a National Park in 1974. In 1985, the park was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Further, it was also declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2006.  

3) Important Bird Area: It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by Bird Life International for the conservation of avifaunal species.

 

Map showing locations of Tiger Reserves in India







POSTED ON 04-03-2024 BY ADMIN
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