Poaching down 57 Per Cent but Tiger Still not Out of Woods (CP)

Hindustan Times (New Delhi) , Thursday, February 09, 2012
Correspondent : Sanjeeb Baruah
In good news for wildlife conservationists, tiger poaching dropped 57 per cent in 2011, though it continues to pose a threat to the big cat’s survival, an NGO has said.

The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) said 13 tigers were hunted last year compared to 30 in 2010. The bodies of poached tigers, seized bones and skins were computed to arrive at the figures.

Adding other factors such as road accidents, infighting, fighting with other animals and electrocution, the overall toll was 61. In 2010, it was 58.

“There has definitely been a decrease in poaching cases in 2011 but it doesn’t mean poaching has stopped,” WPSI’s Tito Joseph said.

This could be “due to effective patrolling strategies adopted by the tiger authority (National Tiger Conservation Authority) in coordination with other agencies”, he said.

Ashok Kumar, vice-chair-man of the NGO Wildlife Trust of India, said poaching has reduced considerably as many poachers have been jailed. “All Alwar (Rajasthan)-based poachers are in jail today,” said Kumar, referring to a gang blamed for the extermination of tigers in the Sariska reserve.

However, UC Tiwari, wildlife warden of Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, said the figure only reflects the case that came to light and may not truly reflect the ground condition.

Illegal wildlife trade continues to be a major threat. “Recently, trade activities were detected in Vietnam and Cambodia. The threat is not only from China (a known hub) but also from southeast Asian countries,” said Josheph.

The latest tiger censu report estimated about 1,700 tigers in India.

 
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