PROJECT TIGER AND CURRENT TIGER STATUS

Submitted byAmrita Ghosh (email id amrita.ghosh17@gmail.com ) G.C. College Silchar- 788004 Assam

CONTENTS
y INTRODUCTION y OBJECTIVES y PROGRAMMES ABOUT PROJECT TIGER y LAST TIGER STATUS y TIGER RESERVES IN INDIA y CAUSES OF DEPLETION y MEASURES TAKEN FOR THE PROTECTION OF

TIGER POPULATION y WHAT CAN WE DO y CONCLUSION y REFERENCES

I. INTRODUCTION
Project tiger is a wildlife conservation movement Initiated in India in 1973 to protect Bengal Tigers. It is a centrally sponsored scheme of Government of India. It aims at tiger Conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves Throughout India and strives to maintain viable populations of tigers in their natural environment

OBJECTIVES
y Project Tiger was meant to identify the limiting factors and to mitigate them

by suitable management. The damages done to the habitat were to be rectified so as to facilitate the recovery of the ecosystem to the maximum possible extent

The following potential tiger habitats are being covered: y Sivalik-TeraiConservation Unit y North east Conservation Unit y Sunderbans Conservation Unit y Central Indian Conservation Unit y Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit y Western Ghat Conservation Unit

II. PROGRAMMES LAUNCHED

In 2005 Govt. of India launched the NATIONAL TIGER HABITAT AND POPULATION EVALUATION SYSTEM. Its aims are : PHASE I spatial mapping and monitoring of tigers PHASE II spatial and attribute data PHASE III estimating the populations of tigers and its prey PHASE IV intensive monitoring of source populations

TRUSTS WORKING FOR PROJECT TIGER

WILDLIFE FIRST BHADRA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

TRUST NAGARHOLE NATIONAL PARK CONSERVATION EDUCATION PROJECT TIGER RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION TRUST (TRACT)

GLOBAL TIGER FORUM

OBJECTIVES : To monitor the problems facing the Tiger in the world. To co-ordinate multi prolonged research efforts. Help other countries. Embark on an international publicity campaign. Develop an effective intelligence system

y The Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP) is intended

to provide the common platform of tiger conservation implementation, the first overarching and comprehensive plan of its kind to take effect across the Tiger Range Countries,

III. INFORMATION ON TIGERS

The 5 surviving subspecies of tigers : 1. SIBERIAN------------------2. SOUTH CHINA ---------------------------3. INDOCHINESE -4. BENGAL 5. SUMATRAN -------------------------------Three other sub-species viz. the BALI. JAVAN and CASPIAN have become extinct in the past 70 years..

ROYAL BENGAL TIGERS

The Royal Bengal Tiger once reigning part of Asia are now on the brink of extinction FACTS: Common Name: Bengal tiger Scientific Name: Panthera tigris tigris Habitat: Dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and sal forests, mangrove forests, temperate forests. Weight: Around 280 kg Length: Nearly 3 mts.

TI
y 2009-worst year for tigers in India y About 40 tiger sanctuaries in India y Cobett National Park oldest park in

TATUS

y Tiger population 1706 in 2011 census report

India y The news report Reduced to Skin and Bones shows 1069-1220 tigers seized between January 2000-April 2010.

Tiger Census 2011, A Straight Growth of 295 Tigers in National Parks of India
y The second All India tiger population counting study which was carried in 39

y y y y y y

tiger reserves across as Jim Corbett National Park, Ranthambore National Park, Sundarbans National Park and other national park , Country has shown that there has been a growth in the number of tigers in India and the number is astounding 295. The previous population of tigers in India was 1411 and now it is 1706. The Tiger Conference hosted by the Environment and Forest department minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh released this current census of tigers 2011 which says : Population of tigers increased to 1706 from 1411 Shivalik-Gangetic plain: 353 which is a raise of 56 In the Eastern as also Central Ghats as also eastern Ghats as 601 in the western ghats the number has increased by 132 and the present number is 534 the Brahmaputra flood plain areas have 148 and previously they had only 100 in Sunderbans it is 70

Following is the break-up of tiger population in India: Madhya Pradesh Karnataka Uttarakhand Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu Assam Kerala Rajasthan 257 300 227 169 72 163 143 71 36 +43 +10 +49 +64 -23 +87 +73 +25 +4

A RECENT CASE OF POACHING

Tiger burnt alive in the Damdhar village of Kalagarh Forest division, Corbett Tiger Reserve on 23rd Maech, 2011. According to WPSIs database 27 tiger deaths due to poaching in 2010

IV. TIGER RESERVES IN INDIA

y y y y y y y y y y y y y

Corbett Sariska Dhudhwa Ranthambore Valmiki Buxa Manas Namdapha Pakhui-Namei Panna Dampha Bhandhavgarh Palamau Bori-Satpura

y y y y y y y y y y

Rench Kanha Sundarbans Simlipal Tadoba-Andheri Indrawati Nagarjunasagar Bhadra Bandipur Kakkad-Mundanthurai

MAP OF INDIA SHOWING THE LOCATIONS OF VARIOUS TIGER RESERVES

BANDHAVGARH TIGER RESERVE

y Located in the Vindhya Hills in Madhya Pradesh y Encompasses 32 hills covered with forests of sal, dhobin and saga y Large stretches of grasslands with bamboo grooves y Tiger population:

- 1979 - 51 - 1984 - N.A. - 1989 - 38 - 1993 - 41 - 1995 - 46 - 2001- 49

RANTHAMBORE TIGER RESERVE

y Located at the junction of ravalis and the Vindhyas,Eastern Rajasthan. y Topography varyingg from gentle to steep slopes. Park is bound by the rivers of hambal in south and anas in north. y Name is derived from two hills-Ran and Thambore y Ti r P l ti :

- 1 7 - 25 -1 -3 -1 -1 3-3 -1 5-3 -2 1 2 -2 -3

SUNDARBAN NATIONAL PARK

y Vast swampy delta of two great Indian rivers-the Bramhaputra & the Ganga y Mangrove forests,swamps & forested islands are interwoven y Mostly estuarine mangrove forest is the home of nearly 200 Royal Bengal Tigers. y Bangladesh lies to the east of the park y Tiger opulation: - 1979 - 205 - 1984 - 264 - 1989 - 269 - 1993 - 251 - 1995 242 - 2011 - 70

V. CAUSES OF DEPLETION


ILLEGAL HUNTING FOR MEDICINAL TRADE

 CHINAS GROWING DEMAND

Tiger bone pills

WEAK LAW ENFORCEMENT

POACHING AND HABITAT LOSS Poaching methods : o Poison o Steel Traps o Firearms o Electrocution

VI. MEASURES TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT TIGER POPULATION

y INDIAN BOARD FOR WILDLIFE (IBWL)

y PROTOCOL ON CONSERVATION OF THE TIGER BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE

REPUBLIC OF INDIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF PEOPLES' REPUBLIC OF CHINA :

They have agreed to the following no. of articles Article I Article VIII

WHAT WE CAN DOu..

Spread the Word --------------------------------------

SMS--------------------------

Write to Editors----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Donate----------------------

Volunteer for Our Tigers reserve our Natural Resources Be a Responsible Tourist -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONCLUSION
The TIGER, one of the most magnificent animals of the world, is also one of the most endangered. A cat of beauty, strength and majesty, the tiger is master of all & subject to none except HUMANS. Can India s tigers survive against the huge odds stacked against them? Do they really stand a chance against rampant poaching, habitat destruction, loss of prey & killings by villagers? Nearly a century ago there were over 40,000 tigers in India, but now nearly less than 1500 tigers are left in India. If we , the people of India don't wake up now to save our most sublime asset, we must realize that they will lose it forever in the blink of an eye.

REFERENCES
BOOKS: # Y.V.Jhala, R.Gopal, Q.Qureshi (eds.), ed (2008). Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in New Delhi: National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt of India # Buncombe, A. (2007) The face of a doomed species #Shankhala Kailash(1981), Roli Books: The Story of Indian Tiger NEWSPAPERS AND ARTICLES : # The Telegraph # The Times of India #Government of India (2005) Tiger Task Force Report #Campaign for Survival and Dignity Tiger Conservation: A Disaster in the Making WEBSITES: #http://projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/status of tiger in india 2008.pdf #http://projecttiger.nic.in #http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Tiger #http://books.google.co.in/books #http://www.wpsi-india.org/index.php #http://calcuttatube.com/tiger-population-rises-by-295-in-india/146582 # http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/tiger-census-295-tigers-added-population-estimated-at1706-94584&cp