More tigers need more forest area

Rising numbers of the big cat brings with it its own set of problems.

According to an estimate released recently on the basis of the quadrennial census co-ordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India, the tiger is burning bright in India’s forests, with the population increasing to 3,682 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018. In May, only a minimum of 3,167 tigers were estimated but this has increased in the latest count. The maximum number of 785 tigers was reported in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka with 563, Uttarakhand with 560, and Maharashtra with 444. There have been doubts about the methodology of count and the exact numbers, but there is no doubt that the numbers have improved. After the inception of Project Tiger in 1973, the tiger population has increased from 1,780 to the present levels. India now has 75 per cent of the world’s tigers. This is certainly an achievement because the tigers were on the brink when the conservation efforts started.

The increase in numbers is because of good conservation practices and efforts which faced many challenges and are still difficult. The programme has sustained for long and achieved success because of the entire forest protection machinery, including officials, and community workers and activists. The threat from poachers has always been real and is still a problem, especially because they are better equipped now, and tiger parts have become more attractive in the market in recent years. But there are improved techniques of surveillance too. There is better public support for surveillance efforts because of the increased awareness about the value of forests and wildlife. The development and implementation of a strategy that delineated a core forest area for animal movements and a buffer zone where the local communities could partake of the forest produce but would support the conservation efforts contributed much to the success of the programme.

But success begets its own problems, too. As in the case of other wildlife, the increase in the number of tigers can cause increased man-animal conflict. The Ken-Betwa river link has affected the Panna tiger reserve. Karnataka has expanded its tiger reserves but then, the tigers have less space to live in now. This can give rise to stress and competition and conflict among animals. A significant number of tigers live outside the reserves. The nature of forests has changed in some areas, and the prey base has changed. The fragmentation of habitat and increasing threats to the habitats as such are serious issues. Concentration of animals in one area leads to inbreeding which weakens future generations. There are proposals for exchange of tiger populations between different reserves, relocation to less dense areas and expansion of habitats. All these proposals have attendant problems, too.