Tiger Demographic

[Dr Panthera]

(04-16-2016, 01:14 AM)Shardul Wrote:

(04-15-2016, 10:44 PM)Pckts Wrote: Manas in Assam: <30 tigers in 3000 km2


Simlipal in Eastern India: <30 tigers in 3000 km2

Rajaji in Western Terai: <40 tigers in 900 km2

Dudhwa & Pilibhit in Central Terai: <100 tigers in 1600 km2

^^^These numbers are disturbing^^^
Such huge areas with such small tiger populations.

This is the part that worries me the most. The largest reserves are usually the least well protected. Central eastern and north eastern India has some huge swathes of forest, but are among the least protected and managed. No studies have been done on those areas and issues affecting the wildlife there. Manas had the capacity to be another Kaziranga, but militancy put paid to those dreams. Same with the reserves in nearby states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

India needs to decide whether it wants tigers or not. We want development but also want to save nature. We mark reserves to protect animals and then build highways that cut straight through them. The only reason wildlife has managed to survive for so long is because of Indira Gandhi. She was the one who put in place wildlife protection laws and initiated Project tiger in 1972 when the tiger was precariously close to being extinct. Number of tigers and other wildlife rebounded as a whole and, if not for the poaching wave of the 90s, it would have been in a healthy state today. We need someone like her today. Alas, I don't see anyone.

That is 100% true, Indian tigers will be protected and saved by Indian people..villagers, hunters, rangers, and above all policy makers, while India continues its amazing economic growth more and more natural areas will be under pressure, as you said you declare a reserve and then build a highway cutting through it, balancing these two imperatives will take someone of the vision and courage of the late Indira Gandhi.
Modhi and other prominent politicians nowadays do not seem to pay enough attention to wild life protection they have other priorities and you can not blame them for it, people elected them to fullfill an agenda and more pressing needs. Reply