The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh, India, has been internationally recognized with the TX2 award, given for successfully doubling its tiger population in the past four years. The Transboundary Manas Conservation Area, or TraMCA — on the India-Bhutan border — was also celebrated, receiving the Conservation Excellence Award for 2020. This follows India’s 2018 Tiger census, which holds a Guinness World Record for being the largest wildlife survey using camera-traps.
About the Awards
These new awards were available to sites from any country within a tiger’s range that demonstrated significant measurable progress after 2010. These sites are legally designated areas with active tiger populations according to national legislation. The winners were announced on 23rd November 2020, marking the 10-year anniversary of the global TX2 goal. Awarded sites obtain a small financial grant to further their conservation efforts.
TX2 and Conservation Excellence Awards
The TX2 Award receivers had a notable measurable increase in their tiger population since 2010, while those granted the Conservation Excellence Award demonstrated excellence in at least two of the following themes: monitoring and researching tiger and prey populations, effective site management, improved ranger welfare, law enforcement and protection, community-based conservation and human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and habitat and prey management.
The TX2 Goal
The WWF spearheads the TX2 goal: a global aim to double the number of wild tigers by 2022, supported by the Global Tiger Initiative, Global Tiger Forum and other vital platforms. For the first time, all 13 tiger range countries came together at the 2010 St Petersburg Summit in Russia to commit to this goal.
Tiger Range Countries and Protection Measures
Tiger range countries include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Tigers, listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List and under Appendix I of CITES, receive protection in many of these countries. For example, in India, tigers are recognized under ‘Schedule I’ of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR)
Located along the northern border of Uttar Pradesh’s Indo-Nepal border and the southern boundary marked by the river Sharada and Khakra, PTR was established in 2014-15 based on its unique ecosystem. The reserve is one of the finest examples of the diverse and productive Terai ecosystems and was awarded the TX2 Award for increasing its tiger population from 25 to 65 within four years (2014-18).
Protected Areas in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh also hosts other protected areas such as Dudhwa National Park, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, and Sur Sarovar (Keethan) Bird Sanctuary.
Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (TraMCA)
Founded in 2011, TraMCA is a joint initiative between Bhutan and India to develop a transboundary conservation area benefiting both wildlife and people. It encompasses an area of over 6500 sq. km, forming a crucial mosaic of conservation spaces across the Eastern Himalayas. The TraMCA landscape had received the Conservation Excellence Award for their efforts to increase the tiger population from 21 in 2010 to 51 in 2018.