Tigers are thriving. Are forests keeping up?

Underlying Project Tiger is the idea of preserving the whole forest ecosystem

The results of the quadrennial census of the country’s tiger population, released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have provided good news as they show a rise in the minimum tiger count by 200 to 3,167 in 2022, from 2,967 in 2018.

There is reason for special cheer because this year marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of Project Tiger in the country. India is now home to 75% of the world’s tiger population. The Prime Minister also appropriately announced the launch of the International Big Cats Alliance, which is a multi-nation plan for the conservation of seven big cat species — tiger, leopard, jaguar, lion, snow leopard, cheetah and puma.

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While the overall picture is a happy one, there are areas of concern.

The tiger population has come down in states like Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The tiger numbers are considered to have come down in the Western Ghats, too, which are known for their biodiversity. Much of the increase has been accounted for by the Shivalik range and the Gangetic plains. In conservation projects on a wide scale, the distribution of species is as important as the numbers. The tiger map in India now is very different from the map 50 years ago.

They are under threat in the East, Central and North-Eastern regions, and there is concern over their numbers in some areas in the South. The problem of uneven distribution needs to be addressed effectively in the years to come. The concentration of species in one area creates genetic homogeneity and that makes them more vulnerable to spread of infections. There is less movement of tigers and other wild animals across the forests now because of the depletion of forests due to encroachments and other reasons. The quality of the forest is also important.

It is the shrinking of the prey base that is now threatening the genetically unique Shimlipal tiger in Odisha. Only a healthy and genuine forest ecosystem with a balance of wildlife and trees and plants can best meet the goals of conservation.

There are threats like habitat encroachment, hunting and poaching, conflicts with humans, mining and industrial activities, depletion of prey base and even climate change, and every tiger reserve may face some or all of these problems. The conservation strategy for each of them may therefore need to be different. The tiger population is expected to reach 5,000 by 2030 and the reserves should be able to accommodate them without causing human-animal conflict. It is very important to balance the demands of conservation against the livelihood and other needs of the forest-dwelling communities whose support is vital in any such endeavour.