Even as several biologists seem upset that only tigers with 'famous' names are given special attention, wildlife conservationists argue that that naming tigers has its own advantage. However, too much idolising could certainly prove to be a bane.
A wildlife biologist who requested anonymity said that as scientists, most of them feel that naming tigers bring the spotlight on individuals that go against the concept of conservation. "It is a phenomenon created by the tourism-lobby to attract tourists. Soon, the whole forest department itself, seeing the popularity of a couple of tigers, start concentrating on individuals and ignore the less popular tigers or the species as a whole," he said, adding that throughout India, there were several examples like Machli of Ranthambore or Jai from UmredKarhandala.
Meanwhile, Kedar Gore, director of The Corbett Foundation (TCF) says that he felt that whether it is numbers or names, tigers would anyway be identified and hence it was not a bad idea to name tigers. "The advantage is that people keep track of that tiger and its movement. If it is not seen, as in the case of Jai, questions are asked that might make the department uncomfortable. But this is done out of love and concern for a tiger," he said, adding that only few individuals who are 'big' and tourist-friendly get all the attention but it is not the case with the tigers living on the edges of tiger reserves.
According to Dr Anish Andheria, president, Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) Mumbai, naming tigers after human personalities, an age old habit in India, where people have given tigers human attributes, has lead to a rise in myths about tigers and their redundant glorification. "One must remember that tigers are large carnivores and not humans. This practice of glorifying tigers should be stopped. Whether you call a tiger Gabbar, Maya, T24 or T16, the forest department needs to monitor it closely, especially if it is radio-collared," he said.
Andheriaemphasised that from the perspective of conservation, a population is more important than an individual. "Ecologically, tigers have a very high turnover rate and hence they will die but as long as the population is stable,there shouldn't be too much of a hue and cry. If a particular tiger and its territory is well known, effort must be invested to unearth the actual reasons behind their disappearance," he said.
