Big Cat Numbers Set To Double In India By 2022, Country's Tiger Action Plan Includes Setting Up More Reserves

The data obtained from India¡¯s tiger action plan (2012-2018) released on Monday shows that despite the tiger population increasing, the tiger habitats and corridors have witnessed urgent need of protection especially after scores of incidents were tigers were killed while traversing these corridors inside their habitats.

According to the data, the big cat population has seen an increase from 1,411 in 2006 to 1706 in 2010 and 2226 in 2014. But the worry is that a 12.6 percent decline is recorded in tiger occupancy in connecting their habitats outside the tiger reserves between 2006 and 2010.

AFP/REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

The data is based on the fact that there have been scores of instances where tigers were being killed while traversing these corridors which are links to their habitats. For example, three six-month-old cubs were run over by a train in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. Most of these corridors are infiltrated with road and rail network.

The action plan, however, didn¡¯t show the data on the decrease in tiger population outside the protected area for 2014, but experts believe that number is falling yearly. For example, in 2006, the total area under tiger occupancy was 93,697 sq km which declined to 81, 906 in 2010 and further improved to 89, 200 sq km in 2014.

The report - India Tiger Action Plan - released by Dr Harsh Vardhan who is also the chairman of Nation Tiger Conservation Authority. The minister said that India houses the maximum number of tigers amongst the 13 tiger range countries in the world. He said that the big cat is on path of recovery.

"As a minister for MoEFCC for two years, I could see from close quarters and appreciate the level of commitment towards its conservation," he said.

He spoke about how the government is committed to tiger conservation."It gives me immense satisfaction that India is leading the world in tiger conservation.

"I distinctly remember that after this government started functioning it almost doubled the budget dedicated to tiger conservation and added 4,000 km of area to new tiger reserves," he said.

¡°We have changed our methodology quite a bit. Tiger numbers are likely to increase because we have added a few tiger reserves and we have zeroed in on areas where tiger presence is likely and eliminated areas where there is no tiger presence. So, this decline in tiger occupancy in corridors may not be recorded this time,¡± Amit Mallick, inspector general of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) told the Hindustan Times.

The tiger census is likely to come out in March in which the number of total tiger population is likely to get increased.

¡°Tigers need large areas. As per our modelling, an ideal tiger population is 20 adult tigresses which will need about 1,000 sq km. This is available in only five to six reserves in India such as Sunderbans [India and Bangladesh combined], Corbett, the contiguous stretch of Bandipur, Nagarhole and Mudumalai reserves. However, its absolutely must that all tiger habitats, reserves are connected with each other to ensure a functional habitat. It¡¯s needed not just for the tiger but all other wildlife,¡± said Qamar Qureshi, the wildlife biologist at Wildlife Institute

Unsplashof India (WII).

The action plan revealed that between 2012 and 2018, two new tiger reserves locations have been zeroed on as Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh, and Sunabeda in Odisha have got approval to become tiger reserves from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Karnataka¡¯s Kudremukh, Rajaji in Uttrakhand and Bor in Maharashtra have also been approved to be tiger reserves and Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu, Dibang in Arunachal Pradesh, Mhadei in Goa and Suhelwa in Uttar Pradesh are being considered for possible tiger reserves. India currently has 46 tiger reserves.

A total of 13 tiger range countries which also include new plans for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal as cross-border tiger corridors have been planned by the Action Tiger report.

(With PTI inputs)