This report is the culmination of a tiger census that is done every 4 years in the country's 28 established tiger reserves.
Apart from stating the SHOCKINGLY ALARMING FACT that the total number of tigers in India is only 1411 (excluding sunderbans), the report also throws light on some extremely critical information regarding tiger's habitat and survival.
Starting with this post, I will keep highlighting the key learnings from this 151 page report, as I sink myself into it .
For the inclined and patient, here is the link for the entire TIGER CENSUS REPORT 2008 -
http://www.wii.gov.in/publications/statusof_tigers2008.pdf
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE 2008 TIGER CENSUS REPORT: (excerpts from the report in Italics)
HOW DID THEY COUNT THE TIGERS?
- The monitoring program uses remote sensing, geographic information system, and global positioning system technology in combination with high resolution spatial data and field data, based on sign surveys, camera trapping, and distance sampling, to effectively monitor tiger and prey populations. The Project Tiger Directorate (currently the National Tiger Conservation Authority) synergized this mammoth task by liaisoning with the State Forest Departments to generate the required field data in appropriate formats and the Wildlife Institute of India to impart training in field data collection, and for estimating tiger and prey densities for the Nation wide monitoring program.
- Tiger occupied forests in India have been classified into 6 landscape complexes; namely (a) Shivalik-Gangetic Plains, (b) Central Indian Landscape Complex (c) Eastern Ghats, (d) Western Ghats, (e) North-Eastern Hills and Bhramaputra Plains, and (f) Sunderbans. Tiger populations within these landscape complexes are likely to share a common gene pool, since tiger habitats within these landscape complexes were contiguous(neighboring) during the recent past.
HOW MANY TIGERS DOES EACH OF THE SIX LANDSCAPE COMPLEX HAVE?
- The most important tiger population within the SHIVALIK-GANGETIC plain landscape complex is Corbett having tiger presence in 1,524 km2 with an estimated population of 164 (151-178). The landscape is characterized by having the ability of sustaining high density tiger populations e.g. Corbett 19.6 tigers per 100 km2
- Within the forest area of the Central Indian Landscape tiger presence is currently reported from 47,122 km2 (11.6 % of forests) with an estimated tiger population of 451 (347 to 564) distributed in 17 populations. The Eastern Ghat landscape complex currently has about 15,000 km2 of potential tiger habitat. Tigers occupy 7,772 km2 of forested habitats with an estimated population size of 53 (49 to 57)
- Currently tigers occupy 21,435 km2 of forests within the Western Ghat Landscape comprising 21% of the forested area. The population estimate for this landscape was 366 ( 297-434) tigers. Among the 3 landscape units in Western Ghats lies the 3rd and the mosty important tiger forest - the Periyar-Kalakad landscape unit of about 10,000 km2 area. The single largest population of tigers in India is within this landscape comprising the landscape of Nagarhole-Madumalai-Bandipur-Waynad encompassing the states of Karnataka, Tamil-Nadu and Kerala having a tiger occupancy in 10,800 km2 and an estimated tiger population of about 280 tigers. This population serves as a fine example of managing inter-state tiger reserves for establishing populations that have a good chance of long term persistence as well as provides a source to repopulate neighboring forests.
- North-Eastern hills and Bhramaputra plains currently reported tiger occupancy in 4230 km2 of forests.The single most important tiger population in this landscape was that of Kaziranga that formed a part of a forest patch of 136,000 km2 , tiger occupancy of Kaziranga was only 766 km2.
- The above assessment has shown that though the tiger has lost much ground due to direct poaching, loss of quality habitat, and loss of its prey there is still hope.
- Individual tiger populations that have high probability of long term persistence by themselves are only a few: Nagarhole-Madumalai-Bandipur-Waynad population, Corbett population, Kanha population, and possibly Sunderban and Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong populations.
- To ensure the long term survival of tigers in India it is imperative to offer strict protection to established source populations and manage areas with restorative inputs by involving local communities in buffer and corridor areas by providing them with a direct stake in conservation.
- Tiger is not only a flag bearer of conservation but also an umbrella species for majority of eco-regions in the Indian subcontinent. Its role as a top predator is vital in regulating and perpetuating ecological processes and systems.
On that note, friends, I request you to please spread the word around, am borrowing text from my previous post, because my request is still the same!
"Its a sincere request to one and all, take this issue up...in drawing rooms, in boardrooms, throught the week, on weekends, at work or at leisure, because if we dont spread awareness now, it will be too late. Only an informed state can pressurize its state govt. to take some action against the rampant poaching in the tiger reserves, only the willing citizens of the state can urge the forest department and the ministry to install latest technology to keep poachers at bay and safeguard the tigers. Its our turn to decide what we want to see in our forests 10 years from now, its our turn to save the National animal of India, its out turn to wake up and ask the authorities for reasons, its our turn to become a little bit selfless and think of the helpless animal who is being killed to make a few people richer in this material world. Please spread the word, please!"
LONG LIVE THE INDIAN TIGER!
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