It’s Official: Only 1,411 Tigers Left In India's Forest Reserves
by Kimberley D. Mok, Montreal, Canada on 02.17.08
Image: National Geographic
In official and distressing figures released last week by the newly-minted National Tiger Conservation Authority (set up to implement India's Project Tiger), the latest estimated count of tigers remaining in India’s protected forests hovers at a mere 1,411 – less than half of the 3,642 tigers tallied during the last census of 2001-2002. India is believed to be home to about half of the world’s remaining wild tiger population.
The main culprits for this decline are poaching, habitat loss and the increasing scarcity of prey. Across the border in China and in other parts of Southeast Asia, tiger-derived products and medicines are in demand, further pushing the tiger toward extinction.
But according to the secretary of the Tiger Project, Rajesh Gopal, there is still hope to be found in the fact that the government is setting up eight new tiger reserves, covering 30,000 square kilometres of known tiger territory. In addition to this and in the face of immense international pressure of "too little, too late", the government also recently set up a wildlife crime control bureau to keep poaching of tigers and other endangered animals in check.
Though the announcement seems grim, three other important tiger habitats were omitted from the count, while census work carries on in mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, located in the eastern state of West Bengal. Due to the risk posed by Maoist rebels, the census also omitted eastern Jharkhand and central Chhattisgarh.
::EarthTimes.org
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Ok..this is just sad news for the ecology day. :-( Poor tigers. Save the Tigers!
The only solution to this is a massive increase in the forces patrolling and protecting the few areas left for tigers and LIFE imprisonment combined with a seizing of ALL personal assets belonging to the traders/poachers in both India and China for dealing in tiger products. Such draconian measures are needed to stop the extinction of these amazing animals, and it is only with such huge penalties that the trade will become too risky for those involved, (though it will never stop completely.)
As to habitat loss, that is a more difficult question. India has an uncontrollably fast growing population. This can only be dealt with by tax incentives to have less children, (but as the rural taxation structure is shaky - to put it mildly! There is no easy answer.)
its sad.
Boycott all tiger products in the market. Thats the only thing by which we can save tiger.
They are doomed. Even if the poaching is sorted out, habitat loss is not stop-able for the decades to follow.
That's evolution folks. Don't see many sabre-toothed cats or bear-sized beavers running around either.
What a travesty!! If india's modicum 1411 tigers is half of the world's remaining population, that means that there are not even enough to fill a small community of 3000... the saddest thing is, there is no reason for it, aside from an obsession with products we don't need. It is of my opinion that the sabre tooths were eradicated due to natural reasons as opposed to human usurpation. Thinking about the fact that there were more than double that amount 7 years ago when we as a species were supposedly conscious and active...
"That's evolution folks. Don't see many sabre-toothed cats or bear-sized beavers running around either."
not so much evolution as survival of the fittest, and nothing rivals humans for surviving everywhere and incredible proliferation. only thing going to save the tiger is for their greatest predator,habitat taker/destroyer to suffer massive population decline, or give and replace taken land and re implement prey
You really cant count humans in the terms of "survival of the fittest" when we are the "fittest" and the most ignorant!
As long as India's population grows as fast as it has, largely due to the prevailing "one son is no son at all" peridiem, all of the country's large wildlife species will continue to decline. But look at the US, we're not much better. We have lost the Eastern cougar, the Ivorybill, the Red wolf is almost gone, the Passenger pigeon was hunted to extiction, the Eastern Elk was hunted to the last individual as was the Easter Wood Bison and the Black Bear over much of its former range.
As long as India's population grows as fast as it has, largely due to the prevailing "one son is no son at all" peridiem, all of the country's large wildlife species will continue to decline. But look at the US, we're not much better. We have lost the Eastern cougar, the Ivorybill, the Red wolf is almost gone, the Passenger pigeon was hunted to extiction, the Eastern Elk was hunted to the last individual as was the Easter Wood Bison and the Black Bear over much of its former range.
Someone told me that an organization has begun to introduce tigers in Africa in order to save the species. Has anyone else heard this? Or know more about it?
Humans will know whats survival of the fittest if they visit a jungle with nothing more than themselves. A Poacher deserves nothin less than a death penalty. Apart from the poachers who do it for money, there are definitely people who 'gun down animals from a distance', to get a sense of achievement. What are they thinking!
And secondly its not about building new national parks, but taking steps to secure the ones that are present i guess. Cause the poachers are getting in there and they have managed to halve the Tiger Population in a matter of 5 years.
Humans will know whats survival of the fittest if they visit a jungle with nothing more than themselves. A Poacher deserves nothin less than a death penalty. Apart from the poachers who do it for money, there are definitely people who 'gun down animals from a distance', to get a sense of achievement. What are they thinking!
And secondly its not about building new national parks, but taking steps to secure the ones that are present i guess. Cause the poachers are getting in there and they have managed to halve the Tiger Population in a matter of 5 years.