Kochi: The Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) is basking in the glory of successful management of big cats. At a time when some of the tiger reserves of the country have come under fire for improper management measures, the PTR has been recognised as one of the well-managed sanctuaries in India.

The other sanctuaries that have shared the glory with the PTR are Kanha in Madhya Pradesh, Nagarhole in Karnataka and Melghat in Maharashtra.

The sanctuaries that have been castigated are Sariska in Rajasthan, Indravati in Chattisgarh and Manas in Assam.

An expert group did the evaluation of the reserves. Assessments were based on 40 parameters set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), according to a communication.

The reported disappearance of tigers from Sariska had created a hue and cry in the country and resulted in the top leadership of the country interfering in the issue for protecting the big cats.

But the news from the PTR is that the tiger population here is expected to go up this year. According to available figures, the tiger population in the reserve is between 27 and 36. This year, some tiger cubs were also spotted during the census.

"The tiger population is monitored in the park round the year and all available scientific measures including camera trappings are also used to take the count," says Padma Mahanti, Deputy Director of the reserve.

The processing of the data generated through this year's tiger census is being done at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun.

At PTR, the conservation and management measures are implemented through community participation along with the usual wildlife management practices and this has paid rich dividends, Ms. Mahanti says.

The India Eco Development Project implemented in the reserve brought in the fringe population, including those directly dependent on the forest for livelihood, into the ambit of conservation by organising them into eco-development committees.

This has brought the desired results in forest protection and management.

"The PTR management has succeeded in converting the negative dependence of the local population on the reserve into positive dependence whereby both the local population and the reserve are benefited," she says.

The Eco Development Committees could make people, who earlier entered the forest for cutting firewood, illegal felling of trees and poaching, participate in eco-tourism projects linked to the reserve.

These schemes have ensured reciprocal commitment from the local population as it provided them livelihood, enhanced their capacity to manage common property resources and also ensured proper protection for the park, she says.