Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Latest Tiger Census - 2014

Tigers Mating by Dharmagiri at Pench
It is in the news the latest figures about tiger numbers in India. According to census conducted by Indian Government there are 2226 tigers in India. This constitutes seventy percent of the tiger population of the World.

In the year 2010 the population was little above 1700 and much below before that. The figures are encouraging especially since more scientific approach has been used. 

The big cat has a long way to go since the numbers do not extract it out of the endangered status. The rise in population could also be due to tigers discovered in areas hitherto unknown. But better managed reserves have definitely contributed to the increase.       

But what is discouraging is the ministers view that our big cats can be shared with other countries. This is nowhere advisable and the best that can be done is to trans locate the animals to protected areas with less or no tigers.

There are many neglected reserves in this country with decreasing population. At many places local factors like poaching, disease and habit destruction is making the majestic animal extinct. 

A new approach to census should be put in place with population of each and every reserve made open to public. This is a pertinent approach which will also put to pressure weak management and expose local problems.