The lack of proper amenities for forest staff, and delay in the payment of compensation for the loss of human and cattle lives are among the main shortcomings in the management of the country's tiger reserves, an expert panel has said.

In its evaluation report, a panel of wildlife experts of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) pointed out that illegal fishing in the "core" area of reserves, honey collection, and irregular or incomplete immunisation of cattle are detrimental to the conservation of tigers, whose number has sharply dwindled in the past few years.

The IUCN has stressed on the need for applied research in India for the conservation of the wild cats.

It ranked the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve as "very good" on the scales of very good, good, satisfactory, and poor.

A tiger reserve is assessed by an independent panel of experts on 45 different parameters. These parameters are meant to assess the management's effectiveness of each reserve and have been adapted to the Indian context from the Management Effectiveness Assessment Framework (MEAF) provided by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).

Suggesting a wide range of measures for protecting wildlife, the National Forest Commission in its latest report, too, recommended special allowances and incentives for wildlife rangers to compensate for the harsh nature of their job.

Reports of the disappearance of tigers from Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan last year prompted the Environment and Forests Ministry to take quick measures in 28 tiger reserves across the country as part of a damage control exercise. Eight more tiger reserves are also coming up.

Though earlier censuses of 1995, 1997 and 2001 in these reserves had shown that the tiger population increased from 1,333 to 1,498 and then 1,576 respectively, latest reports suggest the figure is on the decline and there are no tigers left in Sariska. There was no census after 2001.

The Environment Ministry said it had taken measures to protect and conserve tigers and other rare wildlife, such as according the highest degree of protection by including them in the schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

While punishment in cases of several offences has been enhanced, the law has been made more stringent by amending its provisions.

To prevent the smuggling of tiger parts, several regional offices have been set up and the ministry has signed bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries to control trans-border illegal trade in wildlife.

In view of several instances of large-scale poaching, a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has also been set up, the ministry said.