Tiger reserves in india

Tiger reserves in india

Tiger - large carnivore of the cat family, Panthera tigris, found in the forests of Asia.
There are six subspecies of P. tigris: Amur or Siberian, Sumatran, Malayan, North Indochinese,
 Bengal, and South China or Amoy. Tigers are the largest species of the cat family. Male
tigers are generally about 8 to 10 ft (2.4-3 m) long, including the 3-ft (1.8-m) tail. The Siberian
 tiger may be 13 ft (4 m) long, including the tail, and weigh 290 kg, much larger than any lion.
 The coat of the tiger is orange-yellow with numerous prominent black stripes; black and
albino specimens are sometimes found. The Siberian tiger tends to be the lightest in coloring.
The male tiger has no mane comparable to that of a lion , although it may
have a ruff around the sides of the head.

               India holds over half the world's tiger population. According to the latest tiger
census report released on March 28, 2011 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority,
 the current tiger population estimated is 1,706 (i.e. ranging between a minimum of
 1,571 to a maximum of 1,875). The results include figures from 17 Indian states with
a tiger population.

The strategy for tiger conservation in India revolves around
 the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. Between the mid 1970's and
mid-1980's, many protected areas (66 national parks and
 421 wildlife sanctuaries) were set aside, including large
tracts of tiger habitat. They were later increased to 102
national parks, 515 wildlife sanctuaries and 44 conservation
 reserves and 4 community reserves. This resulted in an
 increase in tiger densities at many locations. Rampant poaching for the trade in tiger
parts - all destined for markets outside India's borders - now threatens the tiger's
very existence.

Prevailing conservation efforts are not geared towards, nor have they adequately
addressed, the new threats with new protection strategies ie. better law enforcement,
training and support. Excellent new tiger protection measures (such as the
recommendations of the (Subramanian Committee for the Prevention of Illegal Trade
 in Wildlife, 1994 and Tiger Task Force, 2005) have been proposed but not implemented
 or little effective action has been taken in the field. Few of the tiger reserves have an
established intelligence network and most of our tiger reserves do not have an armed
 strike force or basic infrastructure and equipment to combat poaching. The forest
guards are often out-gunned and out-manned by poachers. Several cases of murder
and serious assault on forest guards on duty have been reported recently.

The last meeting of the National Board of Wildlife was
held on 18 March 2010. Large development projects,
such as mining, thermal and hydroelectric dams, are also
 taking their toll on the tiger's habitat. In the past ten years,
thousands of square kilometres of forest land have been
diverted and destroyed to facilitate such projects. Though
mostly outside the protected network, the loss of this vital
 habitat will have serious repercussions on tiger
                                                           conservation in India.

Since 1994, WPSI has made a concerted effort to gather accurate information on tiger
poaching occurring throughout India. A total of 923 tigers are known to have been killed
from 1994 to 2010. WPSIs extensive database of tigers poached has detailed information
on poaching figures collected by us. These figures, however, are reported cases and
represent only a fraction of the actual poaching activity in India.

An undercover investigation by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and the
Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in 2005 revealed that the trade in tiger and
leopard body parts in China continues to thrive, operating without any hindrance from the
Chinese government whilst driving India’s wild tigers closer towards extinction.
(For more information, please refer to  Status of Tiger and Leopard   ,  Skinning The Cat (5mb)download video (5mb) requires Real Player)

Despite all these problems, India still holds the best chance for saving the tiger in the wild.
 Tigers occur in 17 States within the Republic of India, with 7 States reportedly having
populations in excess of 100 tigers. There are still areas with relatively large tiger
populations and extensive tracts of protected habitat. Adequate funding and international
pressure will help. But probably the most effective way to implement tiger conservation
action in India today is to enhance NGO participation. There are a number of dedicated
organisations that are effectively involved in hands-on tiger conservation. They keep the
issue energized on a national level and tenaciously try to increase political will to secure
the tiger's future. The Indian conservation and scientific community is now a proven force.
It needs to be strengthened.

TIGER RESERVES IN INDIA

1. Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka)
2. Buxa Tiger Reserve (West Bengal)
3. Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttaranchal)
4. Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh)
5. Indravati Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh)
6. Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh)
7. Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam)
8. Melghat Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
9. Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu)
10. Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve (Andhra Pradesh)
11. Namdapha Tiger Reserve (Arunachal Pradesh)
12. Palamau Tiger Reserve (Bihar)
13. Pench Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh)
14. Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala)
15. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan)
16. Sariska Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan)
17. Simlipal Tiger Reserve (Orissa)
18. Sunderban Tiger Reserve (West Bengal)
19. Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Bihar).