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Past

Project Tiger: Project Tiger, launched in 1973-74, is one of our most successful conservationventures in the recent times. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tigerreserves', which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within our country. Itstrives to maintain a viable tiger population in the natural environment.

An estimate of the tiger population in India, at the turn of the century, placed the figure at 40,000.Subsequently, the first ever all India tiger census was conducted in 1972 which revealed theexistence of only 1827 tigers. Various pressures in the later part of the last century led to theprogressive decline of wilderness, resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the IUCNGeneral Assembly meeting in Delhi, in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to severalspecies of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the country. In 1970, a national ban on tigerhunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. A 'Task Force' was thenset up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach.

The project was launched in 1973, and various tiger reserves were created in the country on a 'core-buffer' strategy. The core areas were freed from all sorts of human activities and the buffer areaswere subjected to 'conservation oriented land use'. Management plans were drawn up for each tigerreserve, based on the principles outlined below:

1. Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic disturbance from the core area andrationalization of activities in the buffer zone.2. Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages done to the eco-system by humanand other interferences, so as to facilitate recovery of the eco-system to its natural state.3. Monitoring the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying out research about wildlife.

Initially, 9 tiger reserves were established in different States during the period 1973-74, by poolingthe resources available with the Central and State Governments. These nine reserves covered anarea of about 13,017sq.km-viz Manas (Assam), Palamau (Bihar), Similipal (Orissa), Corbett (U.P.),Kanha (M.P.), Melghat (Maharashtra), Bandipur (Karnataka), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan) and

Sunderbans (West Bengal).

The project started as a 'Central Sector Scheme' with the full assistance of Central Government till1979-80: later, it become a 'centrally Sponsored Scheme' from 1980-81, with equal sharing of expenditure between the center and the states.

The W.W.F. has given an assistance of US $ 1 million in the form of equipments, expertise andliterature. The various States are also bearing the loss on account of giving up the forestryoperations in the reserves.

The main achievements of this project are excellent recovery of the habitat and consequent increasein the tiger population in the reserve areas, from a mere 268 in 9 reserves in 1972 to 1576 in 27reserves in 2003. Tiger, being at the apex of the food chain, can be considered as the indicator of the stability of the eco-system. For a viable tiger population, a habitat should possess a good preybase, which in turn will depend on an undisturbed forest vegetation. Thus, 'Project Tiger', is basicallythe conservation of the entire eco-system and apart from tigers, all other wild animals also haveincreased in number in the project areas. In the subsequent 'Five Year Plans', the main thrust was toenlarge the core and buffer zones in certain reserves, intensification of protection andecodevelopment in the buffer zones of existing tiger reserves, creation of additional tiger reservesand strengthening of the research activities.

The management strategy was to identify the limiting factors and to mitigate them by suitable

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management. The damages done to the habitat were to be rectified, so as to facilitate the recoveryof eco-system to the maximum possible extent. Management practices which tend to push thewildlife populations beyond the carrying capacity of the habitat were carefully avoided. A minimumcore of 300 sq. km. with a sizeable buffer was recommended for each project area. The overalladministration of the project is monitored by a 'Steering Committee'. The execution of the project isdone by the respective State Governments. A 'Field Director' is appointed for each reserve, who is

assisted by the field and technical personnel. The Chief Wildlife warden in various States areresponsible for the field execution. At the Centre, a full-fledged 'Director' of the project coordinatesthe work for the country.

Present Top

Wireless communication system and outstation patrol camps have been developed within the tigerreserves, due to which poaching has declined considerably. Fire protection is effectively done bysuitable preventive and control measure Voluntory Village relocation has been done in manyreserves, especially from the core, area. In Kanha, Bandipur and Ranthambhore, all the villages havebeen shifted from the core, and after relocation, the villagers have been provided with alternateagricultural lands and other community benefits. This has resulted in the improvement of thecarrying capacity of the habitat. Live stock grazing has been controlled to a great extent in the tigerreserves. Various compensatory developmental works have improved the water regime and theground and field level vegetations, thereby increasing the animal density. Research data pertainingto vegetational changes are also available from many reserves. In general, the 'restorativemanagement' and 'intense protection' under 'Project Tiger' have saved many of our eco-typical areasfrom destruction. The area around the buffer is now contemplated as a zone of multiple use, to bringcompatibility between the reserves and the neighbouring communities.

Fu tu re Top

a) Use of Information and Communication technology in Wildlife Protection and Crime RiskManagement in Tiger reserves.

Wildlife protection and crime risk management in the present scenario requires a widely distributedInformation Network, using the state-of-art Information and Communication Technology. Thisbecomes all the more important to ensure the desired level of protection in field formations tosafeguard the impressive gains of a focused project like 'Project Tiger'. The important elements inWildlife protection and control are: Mapping/plotting the relative spatial abundance of wild animals,identification of risk factors, proximity to risk factors, sensitivity categorization, crime mapping andimmediate action for apprehending the offenders based on effective networking and communication.Space technology has shown the interconnectivity of natural and anthropogenic phenomenaoccurring anywhere on earth. Several Tiger Reserves are being linked with the Project TigerDirectorate in the GIS domain for Wildlife Crime Risk Management.

b) GIS based digitized database and MIS development/networking in Tiger Reserves:

With the advanced IT tools, a wide gamut of software solutions are available to improve wildliferelated information capture process, its analysis and informed decision making. GeographicInformation System is the most relevant of these technologies for natural resource managementprojects, including wildlife management. The mandate of project tiger is to conserve tigers in aholistic manner. The GIS based database at PTHQ is being linked with the microcomputers in theTiger Reserves, so that a dynamic linkage for rapid information flow is established using Arc IMS

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facility.

c) Tiger Habitat & Population Evaluation System for the Indian Sub Continent

A 'Tiger Atlas of India' and a 'Tiger Habitat & Population Evaluation System for the country is beingdeveloped using the state- of - the - art technology.

This involves:

1. Mapping , data acquisition and GIS modeling2. Field data collection and validation3. Data Maintenance , Dissemination and UseThe following potential tiger habitats in the country are being covered:>Shivalik-Terai Conservation Unit(Uttaranchal, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Nepal)>Nort east Conservation Unit>Sunderbans Conservation Unit>Central Indian Conservation Unit>Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit>Western Ghat Conservation Unit

Satellite data is being used and classified into vegetation and land use maps on a 1:50,000 scale,with digitized data relating to contour , villages, roads , drainage , administrative boundaries and soil. The spatial layers would be attached with attribute data , viz. human population , livestockpopulation , meteorological data, agricultural information and field data pertaining to wildlife, habitatfor evolving regional protocols to monitor tiger and its habitat.

Vi s ion For the Fu t ur e

The dynamics of forest management and wildlife conservation have been distorted due to need forincome, lack of awareness, lack of landuse policy and population pressure. Since the traditional usesystems of people are neither static nor benign, these should not be overlooked.

A regional development approach in landscapes having Tiger Reserves is of utmost importance in ourcountry. It should be viewed as a mosaic of different landuse patterns, viz, tiger conservation /preservation, forestry, sustainable use and development, besides socio-economic growth.

Tiger habitats exist in environments of thousands of indigenous communities which depend on them.Therefore we cannot view these protected areas in isolation from the surrounding socio-economicrealities and developmental priorities of the Govt. This calls for a cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinaryapproach.

Tigers now need a "preservationist" approach. Regional planning is important around Tiger Reservesto foster ecological connectivity between protected areas through restorative inputs with integratedlanduse planning. The management plan of a Tiger Reserve, therefore, needs to be integrated inlarger regional management plans.

Introd uc tion

Tigers (and all other carnivores) have descended from miacids that lived during the ice-age.Approximately 37 cat species exist today, including Panthera tigris, the tiger. All throughout the

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world the tiger holds fascination for many people. Certain cultures retain the tiger as a symbolof strength, which has a mysterious aura surrounding it. But the fact remains that the tiger is indanger of extinction. Welcome, you are about to enter the world of the tiger...

Ev ol u tion:

The oldest known felids including tigers are believed to have evolved over 1 millionyears ago in Asia. From there the tiger spread north to the Amur region of easternRussia, south to the islands of Indonesia, and southwest to Indochina and theIndian subcontinent, eastern Turkey, and the Caspian Sea. The tiger has distincttraits & at times is grouped as a separate sub genus.

D ist r ib u t ion:

It is widely distributed over the forests of India ranging from the sub-alpine Himalayas to downsouth and across east-west, but excluding Kashmir valley and the desert and arid portions of Rajasthan and Kutch.

D ist inc t iv e t r a its :

The tiger (panthera tigris) is one of the biggest and most fearsome predators in the world. Thebody bears black stripes against a brownish yellow to rufous background with a whiteunderside. The adult animal is solitary and strongly territorial when inhabiting better habitatshaving fair prey density. The territory of the male in such cases encompasses smaller territoriesof two or more females. The distinctive colour scheme of the tiger allows it to camouflageunseen in the forest.

Ag e:

The life span of tigers in the wild on an average is around 8 to 15 years. Tigers in zoos livelonger (between 16 and 20 years).

Vision:

Tigers have round pupils and yellow irises (except for the blue eyes of white tigers). Due to aretinal adaptation that reflects light back to the retina, the night vision of tigers is six timesbetter than that of humans. It can adjust to sudden darkness at once unlike the human eye.The presence of rods & cones in the eye indicates the possibility of colour vision.

Ta c t il e H a ir:

Tiger hairs are used as tactile receptors helping it to know more about its immediatesurroundings The fur hair length varies geographically. In the southern subspecies the hairs areshort (approximately 7 to 20 mm on the back and 15 to 35 mm on the stomach). The density of

fur is dependent on seasonal and geographical factors.

Claws :

A tiger's forefeet have five toes and the hind feet have four toes. All toes have claws. The clawsare sickle shaped and are important for offence and defence. The claws are retracted duringwalking and extended during attack.

Ch romo s om es :

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The diploid Chromosomes are 38 in number.

Teeth d es ig n:

Tigers are meat eaters and their teeth design is adapted for this purpose. There are 30 teeth &

the tiger bites with the side of its mouth. Its long, powerful canines are used to kill & grab theprey. The length of the canine teeth can be between 2.5 to 3 inches (74.5 to 90 mm.).

Ma in te n a nc e of eq u ilib r ium :

It is extremely well-developed in tigers. The Tail is 3 to 4 feet long, about half aslong as its body. Tigers use their tails for balance when they run through fastturns. They also use their tails to communicate with other tigers.Paw prints: A tiger's paw prints are called pug marks, which are individualistic likehuman finger prints. No two tigers have the same pug marks.

S iz e :

Tigers are the largest of all big cats- the body length of the male ranges from 275-290 cm, andfor the females it is around 260 cm. The size and colouration varies according to the climate.

R e produc t iv e b eha vi our & po st- n ata l c a r e :

Mating follows a definite courtship period, the mother carries total responsibility of bringing upthe young. Cubs stay with their mother for as long as 18-30 months. Males are generallyintolerant of cubs, though exceptions are there.

Stripes act as camouflage, and help tigers hide from their prey. The Sumatran tiger has themost stripes of all the tiger subspecies, and the Siberian tiger has the fewest stripes.

Legal and statutory

Government of India enacted a comprehensive legislation " W il d L if e ( P ro te c t ion) Ac t, 1972" withthe objective of effectively controlling poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives. Thishas been amended recently (January, 2003) and punishment and penalty for offences under the Acthave been made more stringent.

Offen c es pertainin g to h u ntin g of endan g ered spe c ies and alterin g of bo u ndaries of prote c ted areas

For offences relating to wild animals (or their parts and products) included in schedule-I or part II of Schedule- II and those relating to hunting or altering the boundaries of a sanctuary or national parkthe punishment and penalty have been enhanced, the minimum imprisonment prescribed is threeyears which may extend to seven years, with a minimum fine of Rs. 10,000/-. For a subsequentoffence of this nature, the term of imprisonment shall not be less than three years but may extend toseven years with a minimum fine of Rs. 25,000. Also a new section (51 - A) has been inserted in theAct, making certain conditions applicable while granting bail:'When any person accused of the commission of any offence relating to Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II or offences relating to hunting inside the boundaries of National Park or WildlifeSanctuary or altering the boundaries of such parks and sanctuaries, is arrested under the provisionsof the Act, then not withstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, no

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such person who had been previously convicted of an offence under this Act shall be released on bailunless -

(a) The Public Prosecutor has been given an opportunity of opposing the release on bail; and

(b) Where the Public Prosecutor opposes the application, the Court is satisfied that there are

reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offences and that he is not likely tocommit any offence while on bail".

In order to improve the intelligence gathering in wildlife crime, the existing provision for rewardingthe informers has been increased from 20% of the fine and composition money respectively to 50%in each case. In addition to this, a reward upto Rs. 10,000/- is also proposed to be given to theinformants and others who provide assistance in detection of crime and apprehension of theoffender.

At present, persons having ownership certificate in respect of Schedule I and Part II animals, can sellor gift such articles. This has been amended with a view to curb illegal trade, and thus no person cannow acquire Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II animals, articles or trophies except by way of inheritance (except live elephants).

Stringent measures have also been proposed to forfeit the properties of hardcore criminals who havealready been convicted in the past for heinous wildlife crimes. These provisions are similar to theprovisions of 'Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985'. Provisions have also beenmade empowering officials to evict encroachments from Protected Areas.

Offen c es not pertainin g to h u ntin g of endan g ered spe c ies

Offences related to trade and commerce in trophies, animals articles etc. derived from certainanimals (except chapter V A and section 38J) attracts a term of imprisonment upto three yearsand/or a fine upto Rs. 25,000/-.

W hat is an E ndan g ered spe c ies?

E ndan g ered means dan g er of the spe c ies be c omin g extin c t or dyin g o u t.

Tigers are facing major population losses & extinction. Tigers are killed for sport, skins & body parts. The1950s saw extinction of the Caspian tiger. The Bali and Java tiger are also extinct. The last Bali tiger waskilled in 1937; the last Javan tiger was seen in 1972. India today has the largest number of tigers, withbetween 3,600 to 4,000. The South China tiger (20-30 are remaining), is nearly extinct in the wild.

R easons for the E ndan g ered Stat u s

The Bengal tiger is endangered because it is poached for its body parts to cater to an illegal market.Another reason is habitat loss due to depletion of forest cover interference of humans and encrochment of forest land by people causing fragmentation. At the turn of the century, there were almost reportedly40,000 tigers in India, but now only around 4,000 remain in the wild.

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W hy S a v e Tig e r s?

Tiger is symbol of wilderness and well-being of the ecosystem. By conserving and saving tigers the entirewilderness ecosystem is conserved. In nature, barring human beings and their domesticates, rest of theecosystem is wild. Hence conserving wilderness is important and crucial to maintain the life supportsystem. So saving tiger amounts to saving the ecosystem which is crucial for man's own survival.

Problem Of Poa c hin g In The Co u ntry And Ille g al Trade In W ildlife Body Parts And Deri v ati v es :

Increased human and cattle population in our country has led to pressure on forest resources which hasultimately caused fragmentation and degradation of wildlife habitats. This, along with the increase inwildlife population in Protected Aeras have resulted in wildlife spilling over to other areas. Resultantly,increased man-animal conflicts leading to revenge killings and poaching are discernable. Though India isnot a consumer of wildlife body parts, the demand from other countries for these with lucrative profits is athreat to wildlife.

R easons for man-animal c onfli c t :

Qualitative and quantitative decline of wildlife habitat including loss of prey base are main reasons forsuch a situation.

E x-g ratia and c ompensation payment :

Timely payment of ex-gratia for human deaths and compensation for loss of property is crucial to pacifythe affected families.

Government of India has raised the compensation against loss of human life to Rs 1 lakh. During the IXth

plan compensation to the tune of Rs. 332 lakhs has been provided by Government of India under ProjectTiger and Project Elephant for loss of life and property.

Poa c hin g Of Major W ild Animals :

The wildlife products traded illegally from the country are Musk Deer for cosmetics, Bear for skin and bearbile, Elephant Tusk for ivory, Rhino horns for aphrodisiac, Tiger and Leopard skins for fashion products,oriental medicines and food, Snakes and Monitor Lizard skins for leather industry, Birds for pet trade andfeather for decoration, Swiftlet nests for soups, Mongoose for bristles, Turtles for meat and soup, andTibetan Antelope for shawls. It is estimated that quantum of trade in wildlife products is just next tonarcotics, valued at nearly 20 billion dollars in the global market, of this more than one third is illegal.

Illicit tranboundary trade in tiger body parts has increased due to lucrative prices offered for tiger bones inparticular. As per one estimate (1999) 10 gms. of tiger bones fetch a price of US$ 24.25 at the China-Vietnam border, i.e above Rs. 1 lakhs per kg. In Japan, trade in tiger parts and products was permitted tillApril, 2000. This has now been banned after persuasion by the global conservation community. Difficultiesbeing faced by developing countries like India in controlling illicit trade in tiger parts and products, havebeen brought to the notice of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of WildFauna and Flora) time and again. The Convention has appealed to the International Community to supportIndia in it's efforts for conserving tigers.

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The li st of po a c h in g c ases of m aj or w il d a n im a ls d ete c te d in v a r iou s states dur in g the last th r eeyea r s :

R e por te d c ases of T ig e r P o a c h in g :

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 14 38 39 35 47 8

R e por te d c ases of L e op a rd P o a c h in g :

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 28 80 201 69 87 15