Tiger Reserves

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight. Risin' up to the challenge of our rival, And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night, And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger' — go the lyrics of a popular song. As often depicted in pop culture, there is perhaps no animal as synonymous with strength, power and tenacity as a tiger. It's large, luminous eyes apart, there's so much more to the orange and black-striped animal. It is unfortunately also one of the most endangered wildlife species today, leaving wildlife lovers and environmentalists worried that a time might come when tigers would perhaps just be a memory. Affirms Poonam Dhanwatey, member of the State Board for Wildlife, Maharashtra, "It is a worrisome picture. We are doing our best and have held steady with efforts, but more needs to be done." If you haven't done your bit to save the majestic animal yet, even if it means spreading awareness among friends, then the time to do so is now. Or else, you may soon have to show future generations what a tiger looks like from a book or an old photo frame. With International Tiger Day coming up, here are a few facts on the tiger, laid-bare...
The statistics will leave you cold and numb. As per a study by an international wildlife body, the tiger numbers have fallen by 95 per cent over the last century; they now survive in 40 per cent less area than what they occupied a decade ago. "At present, we are doing a lot with regard to protection work, so the numbers are steady in the tiger reserves. From government policies to more intense patrolling, special tiger protection force, better trained teams and more anti-poaching work being done on the periphery of the parks, things are improving. But yes, we have come down to very small tiger numbers, so a lot needs to be done for their survival," says Poonam. Poaching is not their only worry. "Our biggest concern is actually the forced co-habitation between large carnivores and people. It's a conflict situation that arises as the human population in the reserve or jungle fringe areas is increasing and there is also a larger dispersal of animals from the core of the jungle. Apart from the attack on humans, there is also a grave risk of danger to the animal. That said, it's still tough to ascertain losses," she adds.
Seconding her views is wildlife lover Adnan Zafar Khan, who explains, "It is not easy to ascertain an exact count of tigers owing to various factors. Firstly, how does one do this? Either from its stripes or its length and weight. Now, these are territorial animals and you may have 100 cameras to cover different areas, but you still can't encompass the whole area as it's huge. Thicket and vegetation is another issue. Take Sunderbans, a large part of it is in water, which makes it difficult to reach inside. Besides, tigers may shift territory due to depleting forests so it's not easy to keep track." That said, it is the responsibility of humans to ensure tiger numbers go up and a need for greater community participation.
If you love tigers, this is for you — take part in census efforts. "Anyone can participate in tiger census," says Poonam, informing that it is involves a fixed plan. "You have to sit above a water body on a machan and simply observe the animal movement for a certain period of time. This and the pug mark method are oldest means of estimation of tiger densities, apart from camera trapping (a newer one). That apart, people can come and work with local villagers and help in sharing observations. We also need more volunteers to help
create awareness about the need for tiger conservation in villages as well as big cities," she says.
TV actor Puneet Sachdeva admits that when he's not shooting for a show, he's shooting the big cats on camera and helping with census efforts. "At Nagzira in Maharashtra, I was on a treetop (on a machan) above a watering hole for 24 hours. It was such a learning experience and I advise everyone to try it. It's not easy, but makes you realise that to save the tiger, you need to save its habitat. Today, a crucial issue faced by these animals is that there is no place for them to go. Forests are being cut down drastically, and they end up fighting with other animals as they are extremely territorial. There are 3,500 tigers left in the world and about 70 per cent of them are in India. It's time to save the animal now," he says.
City-based wildlife expert Shrikant Undalkar, who works in tiger reserves, adds, "I have done several observations of the tiger across various sanctuaries. It's so interesting to see their behaviour, territory, defence skills etc. Over the last few years, I have seen more Mumbaikars going on nature trails and tiger spotting trips, but more people need to take up the activity as we are cut off when it comes to tiger awareness. All our knowledge is only from books and movies."
Ruling for the safaris: Only 20% area is allowed
A few years ago, the Supreme Court reportedly banned tourism in core areas of 41 tiger reserves to protect tigers in the country. This was for a short period. Now, as per the guidelines, tourism is restricted to just 20 per cent of the parks' core areas. Says Harshawardhan Dhanwatey, president of a tiger research and conservation trust in India, "It's an excellent judgement and goes well towards protecting the tiger. It also leaves them undisturbed in areas where they breed."
Nagpur is India's tiger capital
With a forested area covering around 37,251 sq. km, Nagpur is known as the 'Tiger Capital' or 'Tiger Getaway' of India. Says Poonam, "Five of the six tiger reserves of Maharashtra are right around the city — Tadoba-Andhari, Pench, Bor, Melghat and Nawegaon-Nagzira."