The decline in the tiger population: cause for concern

It was a clear and cool morning in Corbett National Park, one of the richest and most alive national parks in India, known for its tigers. After the torrential rain the day before, the weather had turned very pleasant and the animals were on their feeding spree. Riding on the elephant’s back, crossing the perennial Ramganga River, which runs through the park; a feeling of wonder and excitement envelops him.

Suddenly, everything in the area seemed petrified. The atmosphere became charged: the herds of spotted deer began to make alarming calls. Tea mahout the elephant warned in a low whisper. The king of the jungle was on the prowl. It! A large tiger was sighted, just a few feet away. The magnificent and majestic beast, whose angry growl is enough to make anyone notice, was right in front, gesturing to charge. It did, but failed and then sat for quite some time, growling and wagging its tail. We observe the wonder of nature with admiration …

These majestic animals are now desperately fighting for their survival. Their number is rapidly decreasing. Paradoxically, they are the most talked about, but they are also in greater danger. Long ago, the tiger roared from eastern Turkey to the Russian Far East to Siberia and Bali. As time passed, the Bali, Java and Caspian tigers became extinct. Their numbers are also rapidly declining in India and the days are not far off when they could disappear forever. The next generation could see them only in the drawings and photographs in their textbooks. The main culprit, illegal killing, has raised the number of tigers from 3,455 in 1997 to 1,411 today. A recent tiger census report released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority indicates that the number of tigers in India ranges from 1,165 to 1,657 (an average of 1,411). According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), in 2009 thirty-two tigers lost their lives to the greed and lust of poachers. Even though the tiger (Panthera tigris) is an animal protected by law and killing this animal carries a fine and imprisonment under the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1975 such reports indicate rampant carnage.

The growing demand for tiger parts in so-called valuable medicines and their skins have contributed significantly to the manufacture of tigers. An enormous amount of money is involved each year in the illegal trade in wildlife products. Although it is not possible to obtain the exact amount of money involved in the illicit trade in tiger parts, the number of seizures, seizures and arrests of poachers are indicative of the scale. India is still the residence of these magnificent animals, ironically, for tiger parts most of the demand comes from outside the country. Tigers are generally poached by local tribes, either by poisoning them, trapping them with iron, or electrocuting them. These tribals are lured by greedy middlemen.

India has witnessed a population explosion. To provide a better future for citizens, various development projects were started. The need to establish heavy industries, hydroelectric plants and housing colonies requires land. This has put tremendous pressure on natural wealth, including forests, lakes, rivers, and grasslands. More and more land is required for farming and housing to meet the needs of an ever-increasing human population. Agricultural land and villages in the vicinity of cities are used for housing purposes, while more and more grasslands, forests and woodlands are cut down for agricultural purposes. The reduction in forest cover has therefore forced wild animals out into the open; creating man-animal conflicts for obvious reasons. This has made poaching even easier, done under the guise of saving human lives, livestock, and property.

Tea terai beautiful photo Uttar pradesh, formerly known for its rice production, has witnessed a major change in the growth pattern of its crops. The establishment of some sugar mills and the promotion of greater sugarcane production to meet the needs of these mills has contributed significantly to this change in cultivation. Large areas of forest have been surreptitiously cut down and invaded to grow cash crops such as sugar cane. Shrinking natural habitat has pushed wild herbivores, a tiger staple, into marginal areas and into these sugar cane fields. These, in turn, pull the tigers out of the jungle. Unable to differentiate between grasslands and sugarcane fields, they enter the sugarcane fields. Finding these cane fields safe, they stay there. These assumptions “Cane Tigers” become a threat to the lives, property and livestock of the villagers. These tigers, finding them easy prey, often kill domestic animals or sometimes even humans, causing panic. These animals are undoubtedly a danger to the people who live in the vicinity of these areas. The result is that many tigers were poisoned by the villagers (read poachers). Many tiger deaths have been reported as well.

The decrease in the number of tigers also has genetic consequences and, in turn, is detrimental to them. The rapidly declining population gives rise to small and isolated populations that make them prone to natural disasters. Conflagrations, hurricanes and epidemics can cause them to abandon the ghost mass. Furthermore, they result in a smaller potential breeding population in a given tiger population and an even smaller number of potential breeding individuals. This results in excessive inbreeding that has its own harmful effects. The lethal gene, if present and recessive, does not manifest; it can become potentially dangerous. This ‘forced inbreeding’ can wreak havoc on the population. Alarmed and concerned about the rapid decline in the tiger population in the country, the Government of India headed by the then late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched Project Tiger in April 1973. The aim of the project was to “ensure the maintaining a viable tiger population in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values, and preserving forever biological areas of importance as national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. ” Since its inception, 28 tiger reserves have been created in seventeen states. This helped substantially to provoke a response from the public.

Forests, wetlands, forests, grasslands and the animals that inhabit them are the backbone of the ecosystem. Beyond adding aura, color, and drama; Being at the top of the food chain, tigers make an appreciable contribution to maintaining ecological harmony and balance. They are national patrimony; However, that was the time when these magnificent wild beasts, especially the big cats, were heartlessly slaughtered in the name of hunting and hunting. Noted naturalist and hunter Jim Corbett, who shot many man-eaters and named one of India’s famous wildlife parks (Corbett National Park), later hung up his gun in favor of these creatures. Shooting tigers and other wildlife with a camera, not a gun, is much more rewarding. In fact, a trophy enchants only a few who own it, but a good photograph enchants and educates many people. This not only saves these wonderful animals, but also the heritage and ecological balance and, in turn, also the planet earth.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *