International Tiger Day 2023: Should India Cap Its Big Cat Population?

Relevance: GS3 - Environmental Conservation; Prelims

(Source: Down to Earth, 07/29/2023)

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Why in the news?

• International Tiger Day has been observed annually on July 29th since its inception in 2010 during the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit.
• India is home to 70 percent of the world’s wild tiger population.
• India's tiger population has shown a significant increase, reaching a healthy 3,167 in April 2023 from just 1,400 in 2006.
• However, there are concerns about the presence of tigers outside protected areas, shrinking tiger corridors, and human-wildlife conflicts.

About International Tiger Day

• International Tiger Day, observed on July 29 each year, is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about the endangered tiger species and promoting efforts to safeguard them and their natural habitats.
• The day serves as a platform to foster harmonious coexistence between humans and tigers and to highlight the importance of preserving these magnificent creatures for future generations.
• The history of International Tiger Day dates back to the year 2010 when it was established during the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit.
• At this summit, representatives from 13 tiger range countries came together and formulated Tx2, a global goal aimed at doubling the number of wild tigers by the year 2022.

What are the concerns raised?

• Tiger-Human Conflicts: Almost 30% of the tiger population in India roams outside protected areas and regularly enters human habitations, leading to conflicts. As India's human population increases and expands into tiger habitats, the risk of conflicts between tigers and humans also rises.
• Shrinking Tiger Corridors: Linear infrastructure such as railway lines, highways, and canals are encroaching on the tiger corridors, which are crucial for maintaining genetic diversity and allowing tigers to move between different populations. These infrastructure projects disrupt tiger movements and isolate populations, leading to genetic bottlenecks and potential inbreeding.
• Habitat Loss: Tigers are believed to be leaving forests in pursuit of herbivores that are increasingly foraying into human-dominated landscapes due to shrinking natural habitats.
• Faulty Claims and Data Transparency: There are concerns about the accuracy of tiger population estimates in India. The switch from using pugmarks to the National Tiger Estimation process in 2005 has been criticized for potentially undercounting tiger numbers. Lack of transparency in releasing raw data for public scrutiny has also raised questions about the credibility of the reported figures.
• Carrying Capacity of Forests: India's current reserve cover only around 20 percent of the 380,000 sq km of forested land that is suitable for supporting tiger populations. The wild tiger population in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and the northeastern regions is currently at very low densities.
  • Considering this, it is estimated that the country's forests can sustain a tiger population of approximately 10,000 to 15,000 tigers.
• Conservation and Management: It was observed that more than numbers,the focus should be on conservation and management. Tigers in India have recovered only in some parts of the country

Tiger Conservation Efforts in India

• Tiger Reserves In India
• Wildlife Protection Act
• Environment Protection Act
• Forest Conservation Act
• Project tiger
• Tiger hunting was banned in 1968

Conclusion

India's wild tiger population has shown promising growth, but it also faces critical challenges related to human-wildlife conflicts, shrinking habitats, and development. Conservation efforts should be focused on balancing the needs of humans and wildlife, ensuring sustainable coexistence, and safeguarding tiger populations for future generations.

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FAQs

MCQ

Question: The term M-STRIPES' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of (UPSC 2017)

(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna

(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System

(d) Security of National Highways