As India doubles the number of wild tigers in a decade, we are faced with a vexing question: Are we equipped to handle so many of them? Can we rein in poachers?
After the pat on the back came the bolt from the blue. On the last day of January, the venerable Science magazine, published from the United States, complimented India — in its cover story, no less — for the remarkable feat of having doubled the number of its wild tigers in a decade.
Precisely three days after this report, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, under the Union Environment Ministry, issued a red alert about several gangs of poachers aiming to bag our tigers in and around many national parks and forests of India.
Lens on ‘criminal tribes’
A directive also went to the field directors of these parks to be on the lookout for the poachers. It specifically mentioned the role of erstwhile criminal tribes that are experts in catching the big cat by leg traps, killing it, and separating its valuable body parts (such as skin and nails) within hours.
Also read: Wayanad: Suspected man-eating tiger found dead in forest
The threat seems all the more real and credible this time as two of the tiger-rich states, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have lost many big cats under mysterious circumstances in recent times.
We hope the poachers will be accounted for, given the protection being accorded to the country’s celebrated poster boy, and the groundswell of public opinion it has generated in these days of active social media where even one picture of a tiger draws huge attention.
Should we rejoice?
Coming back to Science magazine, many of us will take its cover story as a reason to celebrate — and rightly so. It’s not every day that a scientific journal of international repute acknowledges India’s efforts in keeping its wild flock safe and sound.
The story also has an added ring of authority to it, considering that all the four authors behind the report constitute the cream of our wildlife experts and scientists.
The lead author of the report is YV Jhala, till recently a senior scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as well as a big cat expert, Dr Rajesh Gopal, the former director of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Professor Qamar Qureshi, and Ninad Avinash Mungi.
Also read: Maharashtra: People take selfies with young tiger in search of territory
Tiger and economic prosperity
One of the most striking aspects of the report links the tiger’s future in a particular area with the economic prosperity — or the lack of it — of the region. For instance, it pointed out that the places that provide financial security to its population are the places where tigers have a bigger chance of survival.
Conversely, India’s economically poorer zones — such as the forests of Jharkhand and parts of the North East — characterized by bush-meat hunters, are the areas where the tiger’s future hangs by the skin of its teeth.
The reason is not difficult to fathom. In places like Ranthambore (Rajasthan), Corbett Park (Uttarakhand), Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), and Nagarhole (Karnataka), for instance, where tiger tourism remains high, the bag cats are a pampered lot. A loss of even one popular tiger can create economic havoc.
When Machli vanished
Consider the case of Machli, one of India’s most popular and photographed tigers and subject of several international wildlife films. A year or so before her death in 2016, when Machli suddenly disappeared from her territory in Ranthambore, all hell broke loose. A prominent national daily lamented in its Jaipur edition how her disappearance (for a few weeks) caused a revenue loss of several crores of rupees to the forest department!
Also read: 300 km across 2 states: Tiger’s hunt for a mate continues for a month
This concern for tigers remains relatively absent in the areas frequented by few big cat admirers or tourists. These are precisely the areas where poachers and pothunters have a field day.
It’s no coincidence that many tiger reserves in Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand have very few tigers left.
The Simlipal hunt
Perhaps the most notorious case is that of Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha. Here, every year on April 14, the tribals go on akhand shikar (non-stop hunting) for a month. It’s considered an auspicious ritual for them, but evidently not for the tiger and other denizens of the forests.
This year, Simlipal forest authorities have installed over 150 CCTV cameras in and around the tiger reserve to check the movement of tribals and prevent them from proceeding with their centuries-old traditional hunt.
The Field Director of Simlipal Tiger Reserve, Prakash Chand Gogineni, said protective measures have been strengthened in the reserve.
Tiger territory increases by 30 per cent
The report in Science magazine also mentions that between 2006 and 2018, the tiger territory in India increased by a whopping 30 per cent. This is a serious number, no doubt, and should come as another pillar of support for the tiger.
Also read: Madhav National Park becomes 8th tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh
Of course, several issues adversely impact the future of the Indian tiger, and one does not need an international magazine or scientists to train the spotlight on these. These are as clear as day and include the increasing man-tiger conflicts in several parts of India, as well as a lack of tiger corridors for them to move effortlessly from one forest stretch to another.
Are we equipped to handle so many tigers? What if their numbers increase disproportionately to their existing territories? These are the issues which another scientific journal of repute may have to take up sooner or later.
