July 29, 2023, marked the observance of International Tiger Day (ITD), an event established in 2010 at the St Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia, created with the purpose of promoting tiger conservation and advocating for the protection of their natural habitats. The day provided an opportunity to draw attention to the dramatic decline of wild tigers, who are on the brink of extinction, and to underline the importance of tiger conservation work.
As part of the 2023 ITD, two significant reports were released focusing on the current state and the complexities of tiger conservation in India. These reports were generated by the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, and they highlighted both progress and challenges, painting a mixed picture of the situation.
Key Findings from the Management Effectiveness Evaluation Report
The Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) report, which analyzed India’s 51 tiger reserves using a set of 33 parameters, reported some optimistic results. Out of all the reserves, 12 were classified as ‘Excellent’, 21 as ‘Very Good’, 13 as ‘Good’, and 5 as ‘Fair’. It was observed that management performance has improved overall in these reserves, with the mean score being 78.01%.
Yet, it wasn’t all good news. One of the lowest scoring areas was climate action, specifically climate change and carbon capture efforts, which only scored 60%. This is a significant cause for concern, especially for those tiger reserves experiencing high-intensity climate impacts such as the Sundarbans.
Additionally, the flow of funds for conservation efforts, which comes from both Union and state governments, along with other donors, was deemed insufficient. This scarcity of resources hinders conservation efforts and impacts essential aspects like infrastructure maintenance and handling human-wildlife conflicts.
Despite these challenges, there were some strong points. The landscape integration and the strategy to counter human-wildlife conflicts scored over 85%.
Performance of Individual Tiger Reserves
In the evaluation of individual reserves, the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala emerged as the best performer with a MEE score of nearly 94%. This was followed by Satpura in Madhya Pradesh and Bandipur in Karnataka which also performed well. At the other end of the spectrum, Dampa in Mizoram was identified as the poorest performing reserve with a score of 50%.
Significance of the MEE Report
The MEE report, developed by top Indian wildlife experts based on a framework by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Commission on Protected Areas, identifies gaps in conservation efforts and assists in the planning of more effective long-term tiger survival strategies.
Issues Highlighted by Panthera’s Research
Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, conducted research in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences highlighting Bangladesh as a major hub for the illegal poaching and trafficking of endangered tigers. The research pointed out that the demand for tiger parts is driven by Bangladeshi elites both within the country and overseas.
Interestingly, the research revealed that traders involved in tiger trafficking often owned logistics companies and held licenses for legal wildlife trade, which allowed them to conveniently hide their activities.
Concerns about India’s Forest Capacity reaching its limit
With India’s wild tiger population growing from just 1,400 in 2006 to a healthy 3,167 in 2022, concerns are arising about whether the nation’s forests have the capacity to sustain such numbers. Almost 30% of the tiger population tends to roam outside protected areas and enter human habitations, leading to human-tiger conflicts.
The issue of shrinking tiger corridors—patches that connect two large forest areas—and an inequitable population distribution also need to be considered in the conservation efforts.
Recommended Steps to Address Issues
To address these challenges, it is suggested that forest management practices should be strengthened and tiger corridors be protected and restored. Strategies should be developed for managing human-wildlife conflicts, and voluntary village relocation within tiger reserves should be expedited. It is advocated that an inclusive approach to conservation should be adopted, and research should be conducted on tiger movements and social tolerance in human-dominated landscapes. Finally, infrastructure development should be sustainable to minimize habitat disturbances, and local community support for tiger conservation efforts should be fostered.
