The 17 States in India that host populations of the tiger must do an urgent reality check on the effectiveness of conservation initiatives, now that the National Tiger Conservation Authority has declared the status of the big cat as “not all that good.” The authority is trying to make State governments more accountable by asking them to enter into Memoranda of Understanding when receiving conservation funding.
But it will take a lot more sustained action on the ground to prevent local extinctions of the Sariska and Panna variety. There is a clear need to revitalise the forest department and emphasise its role as the guardian of flora and fauna. The department has been drifting away from conservation duties towards poorly conceived, cash-rich eco-development projects in some areas. The State governments also need to rediscover the value of foot patrols, field visits, and scientific studies to ensure the health of forests. The laws and funding at their command should help eliminate poaching, and competition for biomass that is depriving tigers of food. In short, people must be prevented from hunting prey animals such as deer, and from grazing cattle in sanctuaries and national parks.
Many conservation-minded citizens today have a gloomy presentiment about the future of the tiger. Official confirmation that there might be only about 1,400 tigers left in the wild adds to the depressing mood. The good news is the survival of source populations, notably breeding female tigers. The foremost task therefore is to protect the two per cent of the country’s land that has been set apart as the protected area network.
The Tiger Task Force in 2005 underscored the point that the big cat is the best example of a carnivore that needs a vast landscape, a good prey base, and immunity from human pressures for survival. These conditions can be achieved if States come up with incentives for communities living in the core areas of reserves to move out voluntarily. Where such relocation has been done well — in Nagarahole and Bhadra in Karnataka — tiger populations have bounced back.
It is relevant to point out that there is no law, including the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, that prevents voluntary relocation with full compensation. The provision of Rs.1 million for the rehabilitation of people who are willing to relocate out of a reserve is a positive step in this direction. Future strategy must aim to strengthen the resettlement system and adopt scientific techniques to estimate tiger and prey numbers, as this is the bedrock of effective conservation.
