Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
India’s 56th Tiger Reserve notified in Chhatisgarh
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve
Why in the News?
The Indian government has notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh as the country’s 56th Tiger Reserve, now recognized as the third-largest tiger reserve in India.
Largest Tiger Reserves in India:
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About the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve (TR):
| Details | |
| Location | • Located across Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh. • Total area: 2,829.38 sq. km. • Core area: 2,049.2 sq. km (Guru Ghasidas National Park + Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary). • Buffer area: 780.15 sq. km. |
| Regional Significance | • Contiguous with Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh forming a 4,500 sq. km landscape. • Connected to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (west) and Palamau Tiger Reserve (east). |
| Biodiversity | • 753 species documented by Zoological Survey of India. • 230 bird species. • 55 mammal species, including several threatened species. |
| Landscape | • Located within the Chota Nagpur Plateau and partly in the Baghelkhand Plateau. • Features dense forests, streams, and rivers, providing a rich habitat for tigers and diverse fauna. |
PYQ:[2020] Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (a) Corbett (b) Ranthambore (c) Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam (d) Sunderbans |
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Similipal Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Similipal Tiger Reserve
Why in the News?
The Odisha government has translocated a female tiger from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to Similipal Tiger Reserve, the State’s largest, to enhance the genetic diversity of its tiger population.
Why discuss this?
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About Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR):
| Details | |
| Location | Located in the Mayurbhanj District, Northernmost part of Odisha, surrounded by high plateaus and hills. |
| Highest Peak | Twin peaks of Khairiburu and Meghashini, at 1515 meters above mean sea level. |
| Designation | Declared a Tiger Reserve in 1956; included in the Project Tiger national conservation program in 1973. |
| UNESCO Recognition | Included as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in 2009. |
| Terrain | Mostly undulating and hilly, interspersed with open grasslands and wooded areas. |
| Vegetation | A mix of different forest types, predominantly Northern tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen patches. |
| Tribal Communities | Inhabited by various tribes including Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia, and Sahara. |
| Flora | Home to 1078 species of plants, including 94 species of orchids, with Sal being the dominant tree species. |
| Fauna | Diverse wildlife including Leopard, Gaur, Elephant, Langur, Barking and Spotted Deer, Sloth Bear, Mongoose, Flying Squirrel, Porcupine, Turtle, Monitor Lizard, Python, Sambar, Pangolin, etc. |
PYQ:[2020] Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (a) Corbett (b) Ranthambore (c) Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam (d) Sunderbans |
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Amangarh Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Amangarh Tiger Reserve
Why in the News?
The body of an eight-year-old tiger was found on the border of Amangarh Tiger Reserve of Bijnor and Jim Corbett National Park.
About Amangarh Tiger Reserve
| Details | |
| Location | Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Established | 2012 |
| Area | 80 square kilometers (approx.) |
| Significance | Part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve landscape (buffer zone of Jim Corbett National Park) |
| Tiger Population | Acts as a buffer zone for tigers migrating from Corbett Tiger Reserve |
| Primary Fauna | Tigers, leopards, elephants, deer, and several species of birds |
| Flora | Sal, teak, khair, and several other deciduous trees |
| Rivers | Ganga and Ramganga rivers flow near the reserve |
| Significance in Conservation | Part of “Project Tiger,” contributing to the national conservation strategy for tigers in India |
PYQ:[2012] Consider the following areas: 1. Bandipur 2. Bhitarkanika 3. Manas 4. Sunderbans Which of the above are Tiger Reserves? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 3 and 4 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
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National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NTCA
Why in the News?
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex body responsible for tiger conservation, recently issued directives urging 19 States to prioritize the relocation of villagers residing in core tiger zones.
NTCA’s Directive:
- According to the NTCA, 591 villages, comprising 64,801 families, reside in the core tiger zone, posing a significant concern for tiger conservation.
- The core zone refers to the part of a tiger reserve where human activities such as hunting and forest produce collection are PROHIBITED, and tribals CANNOT reside.
- Outside the core zone is the buffer zone, where certain activities are allowed but regulated.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
| Details | |
| Constitution | Statutory body under MoEFCC, constituted under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. |
| Chairmanship | Chaired by the Minister for Environment and Forests. |
| Structure | • 8 experts in wildlife conservation and tribal welfare. • 3 MPs. • Inspector General of Forests as ex-officio Member Secretary. |
| Objectives | • Provide statutory authority to Project Tiger. • Enhance Centre-State accountability in managing Tiger Reserves. • Provide parliamentary oversight. • Address livelihood concerns of local communities. |
| Powers and Functions | • Approve state-prepared tiger conservation plans. • Prevent unsustainable land use in Tiger Reserves. • Set standards for tourism and tiger conservation guidelines. • Conduct tiger censuses (via M-STrIPES app). • Support biodiversity conservation through eco-development and people’s participation. |
| Key Initiative | • Project Tiger, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for in-situ conservation of tigers, launched on April 1, 1973. |
PYQ:[2014] Consider the following statements: 1. Animal Welfare Board of India is established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 2. National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body. 3. National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2 only (d)1, 2 and 3 |
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Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR)
Why in the News?
An elephant was rescued from a rail barricade in the Maddur range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
About the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR):
| Details | |
| Location | Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts, Karnataka; at the tri-junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. |
| Part of | Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Geography | “Ecological confluence” of the Western and Eastern Ghats (along with Mudumalai and Wayanad) |
| History | Established as Venugopala Wildlife Park in 1931; expanded as Bandipur Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. |
| Surrounding Reserves | Bordered by Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NW), Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (S), and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (SW). |
| Rivers | Surrounded by River Kabini (North) and River Moyar (South). |
| Climate | Tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. |
| Flora | Dry deciduous to tropical mixed deciduous forests; includes rosewood, sandalwood, Indian laurel, and bamboo species. |
| Fauna | Home to the largest population of wild Asian elephants in South Asia; also includes Bengal tiger, gaur, sloth bear, dhole, and others. |
PYQ:[2017] From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats? (a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (b) Nallamala Forest (c) Nagarhole National Park (d) Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve |
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Corbett Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Corbett Tiger Reserve
Why in the News?
The Jim Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve authorities have recently concluded an awareness campaign to celebrate World Elephant Day (August 12).
About Corbett Tiger Reserve
| Details | |
| Location |
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| Establishment |
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| Terrain |
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| Geographical Features |
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| Flora |
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| Fauna |
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PYQ:[2020] Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (a) Corbett (b) Ranthambore (c) Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam (d) Sunderbans |
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Country’s third largest tiger reserve to come up in Chhattisgarh
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tiger Reserves in India;
Mains level: Reason for the declining population of Tigers;
Why in the News?
Facing a significant decline in its tiger population in recent years, Chhattisgarh on Wednesday approved a long-awaited proposal to establish a new tiger reserve, which will be the third largest in the country.
Process of Notification of Tiger Reserves
- Proposal and Evaluation: The state government initiates the process by proposing an area to be designated as a tiger reserve. This proposal is then evaluated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- Cabinet Approval: After NTCA’s recommendations, the state cabinet must approve the notification of the tiger reserve.
- Integration of Areas: The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve integrates the existing Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, covering an area of 2,829 square kilometers.
- Note: Once a tiger reserve is notified, it cannot be easily denotified. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, allows for denotification only under exceptional circumstances and with approval from the NTCA and the National Board for Wildlife.
About Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve
- It is Chhattisgarh’s fourth tiger reserve, following Indravati, Udanti-Sitanadi, and Achanakmar.
- The reserve spans four districts: Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Koriya, Surajpur, and Balrampur.
- It aims to bolster conservation efforts and provide a protected habitat for tigers, thereby promoting eco-tourism and creating employment opportunities for local communities.
- It aims to bolster conservation efforts and provide a protected habitat for tigers by Providing additional budgetary resources from the National Project Tiger Authority for its operations.
- It would promote eco-tourism and create employment opportunities for local communities.
Tiger Reserves in India
The initiative was taken by the Government:
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Way forward:
- Undertake habitat restoration measures in the tiger reserves, including prey base management and removal of invasive species, to improve the quality of tiger habitats.
- Deploy the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in the newly notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve to curb poaching.
Mains PYQ:
Q How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act,2002 helpful in conservation of flora and fauna? (UPSC IAS/2018)
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Tiger Translocation in Sahyadri-Konkan Wildlife Corridor
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sahyadri-Konkan Wildlife Corridor, Tadoba-Andhari TR
Mains level: NA
Why in the news?
Maharashtra’s plan to increase tigers count in Sahyadri-Konkan Wildlife Corridor by translocating tigers from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) (Chandrapur, Maharashtra) underscores the critical role of wildlife corridors in conservation efforts.
About Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)
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About Sahyadri-Konkan Wildlife Corridor
- The Sahyadri-Konkan corridor (Sahyadri-Radhanagari-Goa-Karnataka), plays a vital role in conserving wildlife, particularly tigers, in the northern Western Ghats region.
- It spans throughout the states of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka, specifically through the Western Ghats, one of the world’s eight biodiversity hotspots.
- Protected Areas Connected:
- Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (includes Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) and Chandoli National Park) and Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra);
- Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary and Kali Tiger Reserve (includes Anshi National Park and Dandeli WLS) in (Karnataka);
- Mollem National Park, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa).
- Fauna: Tiger (Panthera tigris), Indian leopard (Panthera pardus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), and sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), etc.
- The Western Ghats, including parts of the corridor, are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 due to their outstanding universal value in terms of biodiversity and endemic species.
PYQ:[2020] Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (a) Corbett (b) Ranthambore (c) Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam (d) Sunderbans |
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Mapping: Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Dhole, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Mains level: NA
Why in the news?
- A pack of wild dogs, or Dholes, in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) have suffered severe exfoliating skin infection which is an alarming fungal and bacterial infection.
About Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
- Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is situated in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris District, at the intersection of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
- It forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India’s first biosphere reserve, alongside Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala), Bandipur National Park (Karnataka), Mukurthi National Park, and Silent Valley.
- The name “Mudumalai” signifies “the ancient hill range,” dating back 65 million years to the formation of the Western Ghats.
- Flora: The reserve boasts tall grasses, including Elephant Grass, and diverse flora such as giant bamboo, Teak, and Rosewood.
- Fauna: It is home to flagship species like the Tiger and Asian Elephant, as well as the Indian Gaur, Spotted Deer, Malabar Giant Squirrel, and Jungle Cat, among others.
- With over 260 bird species, Mudumalai hosts 8% of India’s avian species, including rare birds like the Malabar grey hornbill and Malabar pied hornbill.
Asiatic Wild Dog (Dhole)
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PYQ:[2019] Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve? (a) Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (b) Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Silent Valley National Park (c) Kaundinya, Gundla Brahmeswaram and Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Mukurthi National Park (d) Kawal and Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve |
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Illegal Tree Felling at Jim Corbett National Park
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Jim Corbett National Park
Mains level: Issues with Eco-Tourism
In the news
- The recent Supreme Court ruling on tiger safaris in Uttarakhand’s Jim Corbett National Park has ignited discussions on wildlife conservation and tourism development.
- The Court has condemned the unlawful felling of over 6,000 trees for constructing buildings under the guise of eco-tourism.
About Jim Corbett National Park
| Details | |
| Establishment | Established on August 8th, 1936 (originally as Hailey National Park) |
| Location | Uttarakhand State, Nainital region |
| Renaming | Renamed as Ramganga National Park (1954–1955),
Later reverted to Corbett National Park |
| Total Area | 1,318.54 square kilometers (509.09 square miles) |
| Ecological Zones | Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, Sonanadi, Durgadevi, Dhela |
| Conservation Programs | Included in Project Tiger (1973);
Part of World Wide Fund for Nature’s Terai Arc Landscape Program |
| Flagship Species | Focus on Bengal tiger, Asiatic elephant, Great One-horned rhino |
| Geographical Features | Ridges, streams, plateaus, ravines, grasslands, deciduous woods, pine forests |
| Importance | Designated as Important Bird Area by Birdlife International;
Key role in wildlife conservation efforts |
Court’s Decision on Jim Corbett NP
- Petition against Captive Animal Holding: The Supreme Court addressed a petition opposing captive animal holding in the national park.
- Permitted Tiger Safaris: The Court allowed the establishment of tiger safaris in peripheral and buffer zones with specified conditions.
- Balancing Tourism and Ecosystem Preservation: The Court aimed to maintain a delicate balance between promoting tourism and preserving sensitive ecosystems within Jim Corbett National Park.
Impact of Tourism on Locals & Wildlife
- Tourism as a Livelihood: Locals rely on tourism for income, with transportation, tourist safaris, food centers, and accommodation facilities contributing significantly.
- Infrastructure and Conservation: Tourism infrastructure obstructs wildlife corridors, impacting conservation efforts. The phasing out of Dhikala tourism complex is deemed necessary to comply with legal requirements.
- Animal-Centric Approach: The Supreme Court emphasizes an animal-centric approach over tourist-centric policies to ensure conservation in national parks.
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In news: Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), Melanism in Tigers
Mains level: NA
In the news
- The Odisha government’s estimation of the tiger population in its forests has been reported to be 30 Royal Bengal Tigers, while the All India Tiger Estimation-2022 report has found only 20 tigers present.
About All Odisha Tiger Estimation:
- The State tiger census was conducted by the State Forest Department.
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- According to the census, the State has 30 Tigers out of which Similipal Tiger Reserve recorded 27 tigers in the wild.
- The remaining three belong to Hirakud wildlife division (Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary), Paralakhemundi territorial division and Keonjhar territorial and wildlife division.
- Methodology: The census was conducted using camera-trapping exercises.
About Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)
- Concerned over the sizeable number of pseudo-melanistic tigers in its Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), largely due to inbreeding, the Odisha government has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to consider introducing female tigers from other landscapes to the reserve.
| Details | |
| Location and Size | Located in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj District, spanning 2750 sq km.
Surrounded by high plateaus and hills; Khairiburu and Meghashini peaks reach 1515 m. |
| History | Initially a hunting ground, designated as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973,
Later declared a wildlife sanctuary and biosphere reserve. |
| Flora and Fauna | Rich biodiversity includes tigers, leopards, elephants, gaur, diverse bird species, King cobras, orchids, and medicinal plants. |
| Tribes | Inhabited by tribes like Kolha, with traditional conservation practices. |
| UNESCO Recognition | UNESCO listed it as a Biosphere Reserve in May 2009 due to its ecological significance. |
| Recent Events | A significant fire in 2021 posed a threat to the reserve’s biodiversity, highlighting ongoing conservation challenges. |
| Global Recognition | Recognized as a Global Network of Biospheres site since 2009. |
Melanism in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)
- Genetic Anomaly: Melanism, a genetic condition, results in increased melanin production, leading to black or nearly black skin, feathers, or hair in animals.
- Pseudo-Melanism: The royal Bengal tigers of Similipal boast a unique lineage with elevated melanin levels, resulting in black and yellow interspersed stripes on their coats, making them pseudo-melanistic rather than entirely black.
- Genetic Mutation: Research indicates that a single mutation in the Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep) gene causes Similipal’s black tigers to develop distinctive striped patterns.
- Inbreeding and Isolation: Genetic analyses suggest that Similipal’s black tigers may have originated from a small founding population, leading to inbreeding due to isolation from other tiger populations.
What are the Population Dynamics and Conservation Efforts made by Odisha Govt?
- High Frequency: Approximately 37% of tigers in Similipal Tiger Reserve exhibit pseudo-melanistic traits, highlighting the prevalence of this unique phenotype.
- Conservation Measures: Odisha plans to establish a melanistic tiger safari near Similipal, aiming to raise awareness about tiger conservation and provide visitors with an opportunity to observe these rare big cats up close.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:
Q. Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”?
(a) Corbett
(b) Ranthambore
(c) Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam
(d) Sunderbans
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Project Tiger and India’s Conservation Landscape
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Project Tiger
Mains level: Read the attached story
Introduction
- Launch and Growth: Project Tiger, launched in 1973, has evolved from a forest bureaucracy-administered initiative to a statutory category in 2006, becoming a global success story in conservation.
- Expansion of Tiger Reserves: From nine reserves in 1973, India now boasts 54 reserves across 18 states, covering 2.38% of the country’s land area.
Tiger Population and Conservation Efforts
- Census Methods and Population Growth: The transition from the pug-mark method to camera-trap techniques has shown a significant increase in tiger numbers, with India now home to three-quarters of the world’s tiger population.
- Wildlife (Protection) Act (WLPA) 1972: This Act introduced National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, changing the rights of forest dwellers and centralizing control with the State government.
Project Tiger’s Transformation and Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH)
- From Centrally Sponsored Scheme to CTH: Project Tiger’s shift to a focus on CTHs aimed to prioritize tiger-centric conservation, introducing Buffer Areas around CTHs.
- 2006 Amendment and NTCA Formation: The amendment to WLPA in 2006 led to the creation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and a tiger conservation plan, though CTHs remained inviolate.
Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 and Its Implications
- Recognition of Forest Dwellers’ Rights: The FRA recognized the rights of forest dwellers, including in Tiger Reserves, and established Gram Sabhas as authorities for forest management.
- Introduction of Critical Wildlife Habitat (CWH): The FRA introduced CWH, ensuring that notified areas couldn’t be diverted for non-forestry purposes.
Challenges in CTH Delineation and Legal Compliance
- Hasty CTH Notifications: In 2007, a rushed process led to the notification of 26 Tiger Reserves without full compliance with legal provisions.
- Lack of Buffer Areas: Initially, most CTHs lacked Buffer Areas, a situation rectified only after Supreme Court intervention in 2012.
Relocation and Rehabilitation Issues
- Legal Framework for Relocation: WLPA and LARR Act 2013 outline the process for voluntary relocation, with specific compensation and rehabilitation requirements.
- Implementation Gaps: Actual relocation practices often fall short of legal requirements, leading to minimal consent and inadequate compensation.
Conflict between Tiger Conservation and Forest Dwellers’ Rights
- Resistance to Forest Rights Recognition: Tiger Reserves often witness resistance to recognizing forest dwellers’ rights, leading to conflicts.
- NTCA’s Role and Legal Challenges: NTCA’s actions, including temporary bans and wildlife clearance requirements, have sometimes conflicted with the legal rights of forest dwellers.
Conclusion
- Balancing Biodiversity and Human Interests: India’s journey with Project Tiger highlights the need to balance tiger conservation with the rights and livelihoods of forest dwellers.
- Future Prospects: As tiger populations and reserves grow, India faces the challenge of managing increasing human-wildlife conflicts while ensuring sustainable conservation practices.
- Legal and Policy Evolution: The evolution of laws and policies around tiger conservation reflects a dynamic process of adapting to ecological, social, and legal complexities.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Revival of the tiger: A joint effort, a cultural renaissance
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR)
Mains level: Complexity of human-wildlife conflicts
Central Idea:
The article highlights the success of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) in India in managing and conserving its tiger population, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach involving wildlife protection, community engagement, and ecological sustainability.
Key Highlights:
- CTR, spanning 1288.31 sq.km, has shown significant progress in tiger conservation, recording the highest density of wild tigers globally, from 231 to 260 in four years.
- The richly-forested, highly-biodiverse landscape attracts various enthusiasts and researchers.
- The article acknowledges the unsung heroes among the forest staff and local communities who contribute to the reserve’s ecosystem.
- Grassland and water management practices, strategic wildlife corridors, and addressing human-wildlife conflicts are vital aspects of CTR’s holistic approach.
Key Challenges:
- Human-wildlife conflicts, particularly with tigers and elephants, pose a formidable challenge.
- Ensuring the safety and security of the forest staff, who face risks while patrolling the reserve.
- Balancing the economic dependence of local communities on tiger-related tourism with the risks posed by wild animals.
Key Terms:
- Tiger Conservation Plan
- Core and buffer zones
- Biodiversity
- Grassland management
- Wildlife corridors
- Human-wildlife conflict
- Eco Development Committees (EDCs)
Key Phrases:
- “An unforgettable sight: the dread and danger lurking in the treacherous gaze of a stalking tiger.”
- “A delicate balance of forest flora and fauna is crucial for a healthy forest ecology.”
- “The rising incidence of human-elephant and tiger-human conflict poses a formidable challenge.”
- “Living with Tigers initiative aims at creating awareness and behavioral changes among local communities.”
Key Quotes:
- “A glimpse of the peerless king of the jungle in all his majesty is truly captivating.”
- “The only way ahead is by enjoining forest conservation upon all local stakeholders.”
- “The revival of the tiger since 1973 has meant a cultural renaissance and revival of our conservation ethics and values.”
Key Examples and References:
- The success of the beehive-fencing project to guard crops against wild elephants.
- The “Living with Tigers” initiative promoting awareness and behavioral changes among school children and villagers.
- The economic dependence of Ramnagar district on tiger-related tourism.
Key Facts:
- CTR covers 1288.31 sq.km and recorded 260 tigers in 2022.
- 27 different kinds of grasslands are present at CTR.
- The beehive-fencing project resulted in the creation of “Corbee Honey,” managed by local Eco Development Committees.
Critical Analysis:
The article acknowledges the complexity of human-wildlife conflicts as “wicked problems,” requiring unique solutions. It emphasizes the need for a collaborative, engaging, and socio-culturally-sensitive approach in addressing conservation challenges.
Way Forward:
- Continue efforts to balance economic benefits of tiger-related tourism with wildlife conservation.
- Scale up successful initiatives like the beehive-fencing project and “Living with Tigers” awareness program.
- Strengthen community engagement for long-term conservation efforts.
- Promote sustainable practices for wildlife protection, grassland management, and water conservation.
In essence, the article underscores the success of CTR in tiger conservation and the imperative of a comprehensive approach involving ecological sustainability, community engagement, and innovative solutions to address ongoing challenges.
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Tiger Sightings in Buxa National Park
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Buxa Tiger Reserve
Mains level: Read the attached story
Introduction
- Camera traps in the Buxa National Park, West Bengal captured images of a tiger, reigniting hopes among forest officials and experts.
- The last sighting before December 2021 was 23 years ago, indicating the tiger’s absence from the reserve for decades.
Buxa Tiger Reserve: Geography and Ecology
| Details | |
| Location | Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India. Near the Bhutan border. |
| Establishment | Created in 1983 as a tiger reserve; declared a national park in January 1992. |
| Area | Total area of approx. 760 sq km (core area: 390 sq km, buffer zone: 370 sq km). |
| Ecological Significance | Part of the Eastern Himalayan subregion, known for its unique biodiversity. |
| Geographical Connectivity | Shares a northern boundary with Bhutan. Connected with Bhutanese forests, Kochugaon forests, Manas Tiger Reserve, and Jaldapara National Park. |
Reasons for the Tiger’s Return
- Habitat Improvement: Efforts to reduce human interference, expand grasslands, and increase the prey base have created a more suitable habitat for tigers.
- Conservation Measures: The introduction of chital (spotted deer) as prey and the creation of watering holes have been part of these efforts.
Conservation Initiatives and Future Plans
- Tiger Augmentation Project: Launched in 2018, this project involves the state forest department, Wildlife Institute of India, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
- Village Relocation: Plans to relocate villages from the core area aim to reduce human presence and further improve the habitat.
- Expert Insights: Scientists note the importance of habitat connectivity between Bhutan and Buxa and the reduction of human disturbances as key factors in attracting tigers back to Buxa.
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In news: Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary
Mains level: NA
Central Idea
- The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court issued directives to the Goa government, compelling the establishment of a tiger reserve within Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS).
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had identified Goa’s Cotigao-Mhadei forest complex, which encompasses several protected areas, as an ideal habitat for tigers.
About Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary
| Location | Western Ghats, spanning Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. |
| Establishment | Designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1999. |
| Area | Approximately 208.5 square kilometers. |
| Ecological Significance | Located within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sahyadri mountain range. Comprises various forest types and grasslands, supporting diverse flora and fauna. |
| Flora | Rich in plant species, including medicinal plants and endemic flora. |
| Fauna | Home to Tigers, Indian gaur, sambar deer, leopards, barking deer, wild boars, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. |
| Conservation Importance | Crucial for conserving endangered species and maintaining biodiversity in the Western Ghats. Promotes genetic diversity through wildlife corridors. |
| Legal Dispute | Ongoing disagreement between Goa and Karnataka regarding Mhadei/Mahadayi (Mandowi) River water diversion, with concerns about its impact on the sanctuary’s ecology. |
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
In news: International Tiger Day
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: International Tiger Day
Mains level: Tiger Conservation Efforts
Central Idea
- July 29th was celebrated the world over as International Tiger Day in a bid to raise awareness on various issues surrounding tiger conservation.
- India’s tiger population has witnessed significant growth over the past decade, owing to successful conservation efforts under the Project Tiger initiative.
About International Tiger DayIt was first instituted in 2010 at the Tiger Summit in St Petersburg, Russia when the 13 tiger range countries came together to create Tx2, the global goal to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022. |
Celebrating 50 Years of Project Tiger
- Historical Context: Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to promote the conservation of tigers when their population was alarmingly low, hovering around 2,000 due to hunting and habitat destruction.
- Landmark Achievement: Over the past 50 years, India’s tiger population has made a remarkable recovery, standing at 3,167 in 2022 as compared to just 268 in 1973.
Population Growth and Distribution
- Decade-wise Growth: The tiger population has shown a remarkable growth trajectory in recent years. In 2010, there were 1,706 tigers, which increased to 2,226 in 2014 and further rose to 3,582 in 2022.
- Regional Distribution: In 2022, the states with the highest tiger populations were Madhya Pradesh (785), Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444). Nearly 25% of the tigers were reported outside protected areas.
Conservation Efforts and Successes
- Tiger Reserves: India’s tigers are mainly concentrated in 53 dedicated tiger reserves covering about 75,796 square km, which accounts for approximately 2.3% of the country’s total land area.
- Successful Reserves: Reserves like Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (260 tigers), Bandipur (150), and Nagarhole (141) in Karnataka have shown commendable success in tiger conservation.
- Project Tiger: Launched in 1973, Project Tiger played a crucial role in conserving the species, ensuring not just the protection of tigers but also preserving their natural habitats.
Challenges and Concerns
- Habitat Fragmentation: The growing human population and developmental activities have led to the fragmentation of tiger habitats, affecting their dispersal and increasing human-tiger conflicts.
- Quality of Forest Cover: The degradation of forest cover can impact prey availability and contribute to human-wildlife conflict, especially in regions like Central India and the Eastern Ghats.
- Human-Wildlife Conflict: As tiger habitats shrink and corridors get disrupted, encounters between tigers and humans have increased, leading to conflicts and potential danger to both tigers and people.
- Legal Framework Dilution: Some proposed amendments to environmental acts and the approval of projects in protected areas have raised concerns about the dilution of the legal framework supporting tiger conservation.
Way forward
- Development with Ecological Sensibility: Upcoming infrastructure projects, like highways, are being planned with safe passageways for tigers and other animals to ensure minimal disruption to their movement.
- Relocation and Rehabilitation: Relocation of human settlements from core areas of tiger reserves is incentivized to increase protected land and improve tribal livelihoods.
Conclusion
- Conservation Commitment: The success of tiger conservation in India has come through the commitment of people, political will, and strong legal and policy frameworks.
- Sustained Efforts: Despite the successes, continued efforts and vigilance are essential to ensure the continued growth of the tiger population and its harmonious coexistence with human communities.
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Bandipur completes 50 years as Project Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bandipur Tiger Reserve
Mains level: Read the attached story
Central idea: Bandipur completed 50 years as a Project Tiger Reserve on April 1, 2023.
Bandipur Tiger Reserve
- The reserve is located in the Indian state of Karnataka and is spread over an area of 912.04 sq. km.
- It is recognized as one of the prime tiger habitats in the world and is an important component of the country’s first biosphere reserve – Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Tiger Population in Bandipur
- When Project Tiger was launched in 1973, there were 12 tigers in Bandipur, according to Ramesh Kumar, director, of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
- Today, the number of tigers utilizing the park is 173 while the number of tigers within the reserve has been pegged at 126 as per the Status of Tigers Co-predators and Prey in India, 2018.
History of conservation efforts in Bandipur
- Much before the Wildlife Conservation Act, 1972, was passed, the erstwhile rulers of Mysuru had realized the importance of conserving flora and fauna.
- The Mysore Game and Fish Preservation Act was passed in 1901, and several forest areas were preserved as Game Reserves, and Tiger Blocks were identified with shooting restrictions imposed.
- Initially, an area spread over 35 sq miles was declared as a Game Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar State Forest of Mysore district in 1931 and was protected for 10 years.
Bandipur’s inclusion in Project Tiger
- When Project Tiger was launched in 1973, Bandipur was among the first nine reserves to be brought under the flagship program, and it included most areas that were already protected under the Venugopal Wildlife Park.
- The park was upgraded to a national park and renamed Bandipur, and the adjacent reserve forests were included under it to extend its area to 874.20 sq km.
Significance of the area
- The landscape spanning Bandipur, Nagarahole, Mudumalai, and Wayanad complex is home not only to the highest number of tigers in the country – about 724 – but also to the largest Asian Elephant population.
- The Bandipur Tiger Reserve is an important component of the country’s first biosphere reserve – Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
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[Sansad TV] Perspective – Project Tiger: Reclaiming Territories
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India pitches for International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
Mains level: NA
India has proposed to launch International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to protect big cats and assured support over five years with guaranteed funding of $100 million.
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
- It is a proposed mega-global alliance that will work toward the protection and conservation of the seven major big cats — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah.
- Membership to the alliance will be open to 97 ‘range’ countries, which contain the natural habitat of these big cats, as well as other interested nations, international organizations, etc.
Proposed objectives
- The alliance’s purpose is to provide a platform for the dissemination of information on benchmarked practices, capacity building, resources repository, research and development, awareness creation, etc. on the protection and conservation of big cats.
- Its major activities will include advocacy, partnership, knowledge e-portal, capacity building, eco-tourism, partnerships between expert groups and finance tapping.
Financial outlay
- After the first five years, IBCA will be supported by India’s ‘total grant assistance’ of $100 million.
- It is expected to sustain itself through membership fees, and contributions from bilateral and multilateral institutions and the private sector
Governance Structure
- A General Assembly consisting of all member countries.
- A Council of at least seven but not more than 15 member countries elected by the General Assembly for a term of 5 years, and a Secretariat.
- Upon the recommendation of the Council, the General Assembly will appoint the IBCA Secretary General for a specific term.
India’s success in tiger conservation
- India has been successful in tiger conservation, with its tiger population increasing from 1,411 in 2006 to 2,967 in 2019.
- India’s success in tiger conservation has been attributed to measures such as habitat restoration, anti-poaching efforts, and community participation.
What lies ahead?
- India plans to expand its conservation efforts to other big cat species, such as lions and leopards.
- India also plans to work with other countries to promote conservation efforts for big cats on a global scale.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Ranipur TR: 4th Tiger Reserve in UP
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ranipur Tiger Reserve
Mains level: Not Much
The UP cabinet approved the notification of Ranipur Tiger Reserve under Section 38(v) of the Wild life (Protection) Act of 1972.
About Ranipur WS
- Ranipur WS, was founded in 1977, is one of the attractions of Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh.
- It is spread over 230 sq.km and is noted for its diverse wildlife, but is not very frequently visited by tourists because of the difficult access.
- The Ranipur TR has tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to fauna such as tigers, leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, sambhar, chinkara and a number of birds and reptiles, the statement added.
- The Ranipur TR will be the fourth in UP, after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh (buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve).
- It will also be the first in the state’s portion of the Bundelkhand region, which it shares with neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
Why make it a tiger reserve?
- RWS has no tigers of its own.
- But pugmarks of the animals are frequently seen there as tigers from nearby Panna frequent it.
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Celebrating World Tiger Day
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tiger conservation
Mains level: Read the attached story
As the world celebrates yet another World Tiger Day July 29, 2022, there is sobering news.
Why in news?
- The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently confirmed that the tiger has gone extinct in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Tigers in India
- India is home to a third of the global tiger population and the country’s success in saving the big cat is crucial to global efforts to protect their numbers.
- India was the first country in the world to champion the cause of conservation of the tiger and its natural habitats.
- The aesthetic, ethical and cultural value of tigers have also proved to be critical factors for saving tigers, which has also ensured the success of tiger conservation in India.
Why is it necessary to conserve Tigers?
The tiger is a unique animal that plays a pivotal role in the health and diversity of an ecosystem.
- Predation balance: It is a top predator which is at the apex of the food chain.
- Regulation of herbivores: It keeps the population of wild ungulates in check, thereby maintaining the balance between prey herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed.
- Ecosystem balance: Therefore, the presence of tigers in the forest is an indicator of the well being of the ecosystem.
- Tourism: Apart from the ecological services provided by the animal, the tiger also offers direct use such as attracting tourists, which provide incomes for local communities.
Various efforts to save Tigers
India is home to 70 percent of the global tiger population. Therefore, the country has an important role to play in tiger conservation.
[1] Project Tiger
- The Government of India started ‘Project Tiger’ in 1972 with a view to conserving the animal.
- As part of this project nine core buffer areas for maintaining tiger population were notified. Now, this has >expanded to 48 tiger reserves.
[2] CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
- Besides protecting tiger territory, other measures being taken to save the tiger include: curbing wildlife trade through international agreements.
- CITES is an international agreement between governments aimed at ensuring that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants, including tigers, does not threaten their survival. India ratified this treaty in 1976.
[3] Global Tiger Forum and Tiger Range Countries
- 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.
[4] CA|TS
- 14 tiger reserves have been accredited under CA|TS (Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards) categories.
- The CA|TS is a set of criteria that examines the management of tiger sites to gauge the success rates of tiger conservation.
[5] St. Petersburg Declaration
- This resolution was adopted In November 2010, by the leaders of 13 tiger range countries (TRCs) assembled at an International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia
- It aimed at promoting a global system to protect the natural habitat of tigers and raise awareness among people on white tiger conservation.
[6] Various NGOs
- International NGO members consist of World Wildlife Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and TRAFFIC.
- Several national NGOs from India and Nepal are also members.
Success of these efforts
The four-year tiger census report, Status of Tigers in India, 2018 shows the number of the big cat has increased across all landscapes.
The total count has risen to 2,967 from 2,226 in 2014 — an increase of 741 individuals (aged more than one year), or 33%, in four years.
- At present, India has around 75% of tiger population and its source areas amongst the 13 tiger range countries in the world.
- 2.24% of country’s geographical area is spread out in 51 tiger reserves in 18 States.
Various threats to Tigers
- Despite measures being initiated to protect wild tigers, habitat loss and poaching continue to pose a threat to the animal’s survival.
- Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicines, tiger skin is used for decorative and medicinal purposes and tiger bones are again used for medicinal purposes for curing body pain, et al.
- Between 2000 and 2014, TRAFFIC’s research found that parts of a minimum of 1,590 Tigers were seized in Tiger range States, an average of two Tigers per week.
Other existential threats to tigers
- Man-Animal conflict: This largely seems a normal phenomenon in India. We broadly remember the case of Tigress Avni which was finally shot dead by the forest officials in Maharashtra.
- Shrinking habitat: This often leads to territorial conflicts among the Tigers.
- Issues with Tourism: Excess of tourist activities is problematic for animals. Frequent visits in reserved forests areas disrupt them to move freely for their prey.
- Climate Change: The effects of climate change and floods are a major problem. The latest study by WWF shows that Sundarban which is one of the biggest home of tigers in India would sink entirely in 2070.
Way forward
- The process of tiger conservation should be more dynamic and compatible with the future possibilities of climatic changes as well.
- The Forest Department and the Central government can collaborate to protect the natural corridors to ensure the free movement of the tigers for better food resources.
- Campaigns such as ‘Save the Tiger’ are recommended as effective measures to make people across the country and globe aware of the significance of conserving tiger species.
- Sensitization of local communities against poaching is also a crucial measure in this regard.
- We have to make the environment and development co-exist and go hand in hand by planning our future developmental goals in such a manner that our environmental goals are not compromised.
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Tiger conservation
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: International Tiger Day
Mains level: Paper 3- Tiger conservation in India
Context
India is now reporting increased tiger numbers, and a recent International Union for Conservation of Nature assessment suggests that tiger numbers have increased by 40% since 2005. This is cause for celebration. But is the rise in tiger numbers enough to prevent their extinction?
Relations between distribution and genetic variation
- Decades of research in ecology and evolution suggest that numbers are critical to avoid extinction.
- Populations that are smaller than 100 breeding individuals have a high probability of extinction.
- At the same time, for populations to persist, they should be part of larger landscapes with other such populations that are connected.
- This is because small populations are subject to chance/random events.
- These chance events may cause them to lose advantageous genetic variants, while other, detrimental genetic variants might increase in frequency.
- This process is called genetic drift.
- Individuals in small populations are more likely to be related, leading to inbreeding.
- This exposes the many slightly disadvantageous genetic variants that are present in all genomes.
- When expressed together, these detrimental genetic variants cause inbreeding depression, and reduced survival and reproduction of inbred individuals.
- A closer look at the distribution of tigers across their range shows that most tiger ‘populations’ are smaller than 100.
- This raises a question why are we not seeing extinctions happening more often? Is this because tiger populations are connected to each other?
Research findings about movement of tigers
- One way to answer the question about not so frequent extinction is to use movement data sourced from radio-collared tigers, often difficult to come by for a rare and endangered species.
- Alternatively, tigers can be genetically sampled using their excreta/scat, hair and other biological samples from different tiger reserves and analysed in a laboratory.
- Genetic variants in tiger DNA can be identified and analysed and compared across tiger reserves.
- Genetic variation in landscape with connectivity: Sets of tiger reserves that show shared genetic variation are well connected — the inference is that the intervening landscapes facilitate connectivity or movement.
- On the flip side, sets of tiger reserves that share less genetic variation must have barriers or landscapes that impede movement and connectivity.
- Most land-use types were not too bad for tiger connectivity, including agricultural fields.
- However, the presence of built-up areas and high traffic roads greatly impeded tiger movement.
- Results showed that extinction could be avoided if corridors were safeguarded.
- In summary, as long as we manage landscapes outside tiger reserves to allow tiger movement, and protect prey and tigers inside tiger reserves, tigers are sure to survive in landscapes such as central India.
Genetic changes in isolated tiger population
- Black tigers were found only in the Similipal tiger reserve in Odisha.
- Genome sequences of a litter of zoo tigers that included pseudo-melanistic cubs revealed that a single spelling mistake (or mutation) in a specific gene causes these tigers to look this way.
- Pseudo-melanistic or black tigers found in Odisha has demonstrated the genetic effects of isolation.
- Results of the research pointed to genetic drift, or random events that have lead to this genetic variant that causes pseudomelanistic coat colour becoming common only in Similipal.
- On the other side of India, in Rajasthan, genome sequences from wild tigers reveal that individuals in the Ranthambore tiger reserve show inbreeding.
- In short, we are seeing the genetic effects of isolation and small population size in wild tigers at some locations.
Way forward
- Focus on connectivity: While we celebrate the recovery of tiger populations only by looking at numbers, we must not lose sight of other factors that are critical to their continued survival, such as connectivity.
- Special attention is needed for populations that are becoming isolated and facing the genetic consequences of such isolation.
- The future of such populations may depend on genetic rescue or even the introduction of novel genetic variants.
Conclusion
We are fortunate that novel genome sequencing technology provides an opportunity to understand tigers much better in the context of their conservation. The future of tigers will require a ‘dialogue’ between such data and management strategies in order to ensure their survival. India is lucky to have so many wild tigers and we must work together to save them.
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Back2Basics: Pseudo-melanism
- Tigers have a distinctive dark stripe pattern on a light background of white or golden.
- A rare pattern variant, distinguished by stripes that are broadened and fused together, is also observed in both wild and captive populations.
- This is known as pseudo-melanism, which is different from true melanism, a condition characterised by unusually high deposition of melanin, a dark pigment.
- While truly melanistic tigers are yet to be recorded, pseudo-melanistic ones have been camera-trapped repeatedly, and only, in Simlipal, a 2,750-km tiger reserve in Odisha, since 2007
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Ramgarh Vishdhari notified as India’s 52nd Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ramgarh Vishdhari TR
Mains level: Tiger Conservation
Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary is now notified as a tiger reserve after a nod by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
Ramgarh Vishdhari TR
- Ramgarh Vishadhri, located mostly in Bundi district and in part in Bhilwara and Kota districts.
- It is also home to the Indian wolf, leopard, striped hyena, chinkara, antelope and foxes among other animals.
- It is now India’s 52nd tiger reserve and Rajasthan’s fourth, after Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra.
- The reserve will be spread in an area of 1,501.89 sq km.
- The area has been called ‘critical’ for the movement of tigers by wildlife experts and conservationists.
- Though the tiger population in Ramgarh itself was not high, it plays an important role in connecting the Ranthambore and Mukundra Tiger Reserves of Rajasthan.
Back2Basics: Tiger Reserves
- The Tiger Reserves of India were set up in 1973 and are governed by Project Tiger, which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
- A National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary that is considered significant for protecting tigers can be additionally designated as a Tiger Reserve.
- A Tiger Reserve consists of a ‘Core’ or ‘Critical Tiger Habitat’, which is to be managed as an inviolate area, and a ‘Buffer’ or Peripheral area immediately abutting a Core area, which may be accorded a lesser degree of habitat protection.
- This is the typical zonation of a Tiger Reserve.
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Tiger Density in India
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tiger Density in India
Mains level: Man-Animal Conflict
Preliminary findings of a study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) suggest that the density of tigers in the Sunderbans may have reached the carrying capacity of the mangrove forests, leading to frequent dispersals and a surge in human-wildlife conflict.
Tiger Density of India
- In the Terai and Shivalik hills habitat — think Corbett tiger reserve, for example — 10-16 tigers can survive in 100 sq km.
- This slides to 7-11 tigers per 100 sq km in the reserves of north-central Western Ghats such as Bandipur, and to 6-10 tigers per 100 sq km in the dry deciduous forests, such as Kanha, of central India.
- The correlation between prey availability and tiger density is fairly established.
- There is even a simple linear regression explaining the relationship in the 2018 All-India Tiger report that put the carrying capacity in the Sunderbans “at around 4 tigers” per 100 sq km.
- A joint Indo-Bangla study in 2015 pegged the tiger density at 2.85 per 100 sq km after surveying eight blocks spanning 2,913 sq km across the international borders in the Sunderbans.
Conflict: cause or effect
- The consequence, as classical theories go, is frequent dispersal of tigers leading to higher levels of human-wildlife conflict in the reserve peripheries.
- Physical (space) and biological (forest productivity) factors have an obvious influence on a reserve’s carrying capacity of tigers.
- What also plays a crucial role is how the dispersal of wildlife is tolerated by people — from the locals who live around them to policymakers who decide management strategies.
- More so when different land uses overlap and a good number of people depend on forest resources for livelihood.
Why tiger corridors are not a solution?
- But though vital for genes to travel and avoid a population bottleneck, wildlife corridors may not be the one-stop solution for conflict.
- First, not all dispersing tigers will chance upon corridors simply because many will find territories of other tigers between them and such openings.
- Even the lucky few that may take those routes are likely to wander to the forest edges along the way.
- Worse, the corridors may not lead to viable forests in reserves such as Sunderbans, bounded by the sea and villages.
Way ahead
- Artificially boosting the prey base in a reserve is often an intuitive solution but it can be counter-productive.
- To harness the umbrella effect of tigers for biodiversity conservation, it is more beneficial to increase areas occupied by tigers.
- For many, the prescription is to create safe connectivity among forests and allow tigers to disperse safely to new areas.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:
Q.Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat” ?
(a) Corbett
(b) Ranthambore
(c) Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam
(d) Sunderbans
Post your answers here.
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Places in news: Buxa Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Buxa Tiger Reserve
Mains level: Success of Tiger Conservation
In a major success for tiger conservation, a photograph of a tiger was captured in a camera trap in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve since 1998.
Locate all major tiger reserves in India.
Buxa Tiger Reserve
- Buxa Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in northern West Bengal, India, covering an area of 760 km2 (290 sq mi).
- In altitude, it ranges from 60 m in the Gangetic Plains to 1,750 m bordering the Himalayas in the north.
- Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
- The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR and the eastern boundary touches that of the Assam state.
Key features of BTR
- It is the easternmost extension of extreme bio-diverse North-East India and represents highly endemic Indo-Malayan region.
- The fragile “Terai Eco-System” constitutes a part of this reserve.
- The Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR.
- It serves as an international corridor for Asian elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Places in news: Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mudumalai TR
Mains level: Not Much
P
PC: MapsOfIndia
A tiger believed to have been responsible for the death of two herders in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve was finally captured.
Read all the tiger reserves in India through this map. Put more focus on South Indian states and the NE region.
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
- Mudumalai National Park is a national park in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu.
- It is located in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala.
- It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and was declared a tiger reserve in 2007.
- It harbours several endangered and vulnerable species including Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Indian elephant and gaur.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the lions from their natural habitat in Gujarat to which one of the following sites?
(a) Corbett National Park
(b) Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary
(c) Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
(d) Sariska National Park
Post your answers here.
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Renaming of the Jim Corbett National Park
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Jim Corbett NP
Mains level: Tiger Conservation
The Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has recently proposed to change the name of Corbett National Park to Ramganga National Park.
Who was Jim Corbett?
- Born in Nainital in 1875, Edward James Corbett lived in India till Independence, after which he left for Kenya where he died in 1955.
- India’s best known hunter, Corbett earned fame after he tracked down and killed a number of man-eating tigers and leopards (he is said to have killed over a dozen).
- An ace shot, Corbett was called upon regularly by the government to track and shoot man-eaters in the villages of Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttarakhand.
Corbett National Park
- Jim Corbett National Park is a national park in India located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state.
- The first national park in India, it was established in 1936 during the British Raj and named Haily National Park after a governor of the United Provinces in which it was then located.
- It was renamed Ramganga National Park, named after the river that flows through it, shortly after Independence and was rechristened yet again as Corbett National Park in 1956.
- Jim Corbett had played a leading role in its establishment and had died the year before.
- The park was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
The tiger reserve
- The national park along with the neighbouring 301-sq km-Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary together make the critical tiger habitat of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
- With its hills, grasslands and streams, it is ideal tiger territory.
- The place from where Project Tiger was launched in 1973, with its tiger population at 163, it boasts of a single largest tiger population in a tiger reserve and one of the highest tiger densities in the country.
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Bhoramdeo Tiger Reserve: Fourth TR in Chhattisgarh
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Bhoramdeo Tiger Reserves
Mains level: Not Much
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved the Chhattisgarh government’s proposal to declare the combined areas of the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.
Bhoramdeo Tiger Reserve
- The new Reserve is located in the northern part of the state, bordering Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
- This will be the fourth Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, after the Udanti-Sitanadi, Achanakmar, and Indravati Reserves.
- The proposal was considered under Section 38V(1) of The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- This section says that the State Government shall, on the recommendation of the Tiger Conservation Authority, notify an area as a tiger reserve.
A decade in making
- The Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary was identified as part of the Sarguja Jashpur Elephant Reserve in 2011.
- The Guru Ghasidas National Park used to be part of the Sanjay National Park in undivided Madhya Pradesh.
- Both were identified as reserve forests, and had been in line to be notified as Tiger Reserve since 2011.
Medium-sized reserve
- The constituent units of the new Tiger Reserve, Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, are spread over 1,44,000 hectares (1,440 sq km) and 60,850 hectares (608.5 sq km) respectively.
- Guru Ghasidas National Park is in Koriya district; Tamor Pingla is in Surajpur district in the northwestern corner of Chhattisgarh.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Pseudo-melanism in Tigers of Simlipal
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Pigmentation of Tigers
Mains level: Not Much
A team of scientists has resolved the genetic mystery of Simlipal’s so-called black tigers.
What are Black Tigers?
- Tigers have a distinctive dark stripe pattern on a light background of white or golden.
- A rare pattern variant, distinguished by stripes that are broadened and fused together, is also observed in both wild and captive populations.
- This is known as pseudo-melanism, which is different from true melanism, a condition characterized by unusually high deposition of melanin, a dark pigment.
- This pseudo-melanism is linked to a single mutation in Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep), a gene responsible for similar traits in other cat species.
Where are they mostly found?
- While truly melanistic tigers are yet to be recorded, pseudo-melanistic ones have been camera-trapped repeatedly, and only, in Simlipal, a 2,750-km tiger reserve in Odisha, since 2007.
- Launched in 2017, the study was the first attempt to investigate the genetic basis for this unusual phenotype (appearance).
Why they are rare?
- Mutants are genetic variations which may occur spontaneously, but not frequently, in nature.
- A cub gets two copies of each gene from both parents, and a recessive gene can show up only in the absence of the dominant one.
- So, two normal-pattern tigers carrying the recessive pseudo-melanism gene will have to breed together for a one-in-four probability of giving birth to a black cub.
- But recessive genes are rare and it is unlikely that two unrelated tigers will carry the same one and pass it on together to a cub.
Connection with Simlipal TR
- In an ideal tiger world, where far-ranging individuals are never short of choices for partners, that makes succession of black tigers a rarity.
- Under exceptional circumstances, a black tiger may succeed as part of a very small population that is forced to inbreed in isolation for generations.
- As it turned out, that is what happened at Simlipal.
- Pseudo-melanistic tigers are also present in three zoos in India — Nandankanan (Bhubaneswar), Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Chennai) and Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park (Ranchi) — where they were born in captivity.
- All of them have ancestral links to one individual from Simlipal.
What about natural selection?
- Natural selection eliminates the weakest from a gene pool, and the traits of the more successful get passed on.
- Niche modelling, the study said, shows higher frequency of melanistic leopards in darker tropical and subtropical forests than in drier open habitats.
- Likewise, darker coats may confer a selective advantage in both hunting and avoiding hunters in Simlipal’s tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen closed-canopy forest, with a relatively darker understory.
Try this PYQ:
Two important rivers – one with its source in Jharkhand (and known by a different name in Odisha), and another, with its source in Odisha – merge at a place only a short distance from the coast of Bay of Bengal before flowing into the sea. This is an important site of wildlife and biodiversity and a protected area.
Which one of the following could be this?
(a) Bhitarkanika
(b) Chandipur-on-sea
(c) Gopalpur-on-sea
(d) Simlipal
Post your answers here.
Back2Basics: Project Tiger
- Project Tiger is a tiger conservation program launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
- In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
- The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
- Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Places in news: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Mains level: Not Much
A herd of around 25 elephants from Nepal’s Shuklaphanta National Park reached the tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh almost a month back.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
- Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is located in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh and was notified as a tiger reserve in 2014.
- It is one of the few well-forested districts in Uttar Pradesh.
- It forms part of the Terai Arc Landscape in the upper Gangetic Plain along the India-Nepal border.
- The habitat is characterized by sal forests, tall grasslands and swamp maintained by periodic flooding from rivers.
- The Sharda Sagar Dam extending up to a length of 22 km is on the boundary of the reserve.
- The tiger reserve got the first international award TX2 for doubling the tiger population in a stipulated time.
Try answering this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following protected areas:
- Bandipur
- Bhitarkanika
- Manas
- Sunderbans
Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Post your answers here.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Places in news: Corbett Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Jim Corbett NP, NTCA
Mains level: Tiger Conservation
The Delhi High Court has asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to consider as a representation a petition to stop the alleged illegal construction of bridges and walls within the tiger breeding habitat of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Jim Corbett National Park
- Jim Corbett NP is the oldest national park in India and was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger.
- It is located in Nainital district and Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand and was named after hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett.
- The park was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
- It has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics.
- Dense moist deciduous forest mainly consists of sal, haldu, peepal, rohini and mango trees.
- Forest covers almost 73% of the park, while 10% of the area consists of grasslands.
Try answering this PYQ:
Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat” ? (CSP 2020)
(a) Corbett
(b) Ranthambore
(c) Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam
(d) Sunderbans
Post your answers here:
Back2Basics: National Tiger Conservation Authority
- The NTCA was established in December 2005, following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India.
- The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was amended in 2006 to provide for constituting NTCA responsible for the implementation of the Project Tiger plan to protect endangered tigers.
- It works for the reorganized management of Project Tiger and the many Tiger Reserves in India.
- A program for protection called, ‘Tiger Protection Program’ (popularly known as Project Tiger) was started in 1973, by the GOI in co-operation with WWF.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
[pib] Leopard Population in India
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Leopard populations in India
Mains level: Tiger and leopard conservation: A success
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the Status of Leopards Report.
Confused over Leopard and Cheetah?
The most common difference between these two animals is the patterns on their coat. At first glance, it may look like they both have spots, but in actual fact, a leopard has rosettes which are rose-like markings, and cheetahs have a solid round or oval spot shape.
Indian Leopards
- The Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent.
- It is one of the big cats occurring on the Indian subcontinent, apart from the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
- It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because populations have declined following habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching for the illegal trade of skins and body parts.
Leopards in India
- India now has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014.
- More than 60% increase in population has been recorded.
- The States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra recorded the highest leopard estimates at 3,421, 1,783 and 1,690 respectively.
- India’s world record tiger survey also estimated the population of leopards and the tiger range was found a home to 12,852 (12,172-13,535) leopards.
Significance
- The increase in Tiger, Lion & Leopards numbers over the last few years is a testimony to the conservation efforts and of the fledgeling wildlife & biodiversity of the country.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Report of the All India Tiger Estimation 2020
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Project Tiger
Mains level: Tiger conservation
India’s tiger population has reached a new high at 2,367.
Before reading this newscard, try these PYQs:
- The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of: (CSP 2017)
(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
(d) Security of National Highways
Q.Consider the following protected areas: (CSP 2012)
- Bandipur
- Bhitarkanika
- Manas
- Sunderbans
Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
All India Tiger Estimation
- The tiger count is prepared after every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) provides details on the number of tigers in the 18 tiger reign states with 50 tiger reserves.
- However, this time, the census also included data collected from the rough terrains of north-eastern states which were not possible due to logistic constraints before.
- The entire exercise spanned over four years is considered to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage and intensity of sampling.
- Over 15, 000 cameras were installed at various strategic points to capture the movement of tigers. This was supported by extensive data collected by field personnel and satellite mapping.
Details of the report
- India has 70% of the world’s tigers, says the report.
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
- Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population and all other States saw a “positive” increase, according to a press statement.
Implementing CATS frameworks
- India had embarked upon assessing management interventions through the globally developed Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) framework.
- This framework will now be extended to all fifty tiger reserves across the country.
Back2Basics: Project Tiger
- Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
- In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
- The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
- Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
Mapping: Melghat Tiger Reserve
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Melghat Tiger Reserve
Mains level: Tiger conservation
Maharashtra CM has sought alternative routes for the proposed broad gauge conversion of a railway line passing through the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district.
Try this question from CSP 2012:
Consider the following protected areas:
1. Bandipur 2. Bhitarkanika 3. Manas 4. Sunderbans
Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Melghat Tiger Reserve
- Melghat, part of the Satpura-Maikal landscape was among the first nine tiger reserves notified in 1973-74 under the Project Tiger.
- The Tapti River and the Gawilgadh ridge of the Satpura Range form the boundary of the reserve.
- The forest is tropical dry deciduous in nature, dominated by teak.
- The reserve is a catchment area for five major rivers: the Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga and Dolar. These all rivers are tributaries of the river Tapti.
Back2Basics: Project Tiger
- Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
- In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
- The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
- Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
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Tiger Conservation Efforts – Project Tiger, etc.
[pib] India’s Tiger Census sets a New Guinness Record
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: All India Tiger Estimation 2018 results
Mains level: Tiger conservation
The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2018, results of which were declared to the nation on Global Tiger Day last year has entered the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey.
Before reading this newscard, try these PYQs:
Q. The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of: (CSP 2017)
(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
(d) Security of National Highways
Q.Consider the following protected areas: (CSP 2012)
- Bandipur
- Bhitarkanika
- Manas
- Sunderbans
Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
About All India Tiger Estimation
- The tiger count is prepared after every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) provides details on the number of tigers in the 18 tiger reign states with 50 tiger reserves.
- However, this time, the census also included data collected from the rough terrains of north-eastern states which were not possible due to logistic constraints before.
- The entire exercise spanned over four years is considered to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage and intensity of sampling.
- Over 15, 000 cameras were installed at various strategic points to capture the movement of tigers. This was supported by extensive data collected by field personnel and satellite mapping.
Highlights of the 2018 estimation
- India has 2,967 tigers, a third more than in 2014, according to results of a tiger census.
- India has achieved the target of doubling tiger population four years before the 2022 deadline.
- According to the census, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 and Uttarakhand at number 3 with 442 tigers.
- While Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of tigers, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu registered the “maximum improvement” since 2014.
- Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in their tiger numbers while tiger numbers in Odisha remained constant. All other states witnessed a positive trend.
Back2Basics: Project Tiger
- Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
- In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
- The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
- Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
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