No longer burning bright

Political commitment is a must for the success of conservation efforts



Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?




The tiger is a magnificent creature, which is both bold and beautiful. Sadly, today tigers run the risk of extinction. The number of tigers in the wild has declined by 50 percent to 3,200 over the past one decade mainly due to human intervention. The big cat is neither burning bright in the forest nor is it creating fear in the minds of the people as described by the poet, William Blake. If we do not pay special attention to protect them, it might soon be consigned to history books.



The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Feb 14 launched a campaign with an aim to double the tiger population by 2022. During a recent tiger conference held in Thailand, the representatives of 13 tiger range countries also vowed to work together to double the current tiger population to 6,400 within 12 years.



Nepal has also joined hands with the global community to double its adult tiger population of 121 to 242 by 2022 through intensified conservation efforts. Experts believe that the breeding population of 121 at present in Nepal is enough to increase the number of tigers to attain the target. During the past 12 years, Nepal has maintained its breeding tiger population from 123 to the present level of 121 (total tiger population is estimated to be 300) despite the decade-long conflict that hindered conservation efforts. However, last year alone, four tigers were killed by local people owing to animal-human conflict, which indicate serious lapse in the park management tasks. In the month of February alone, skins of three tigers were recovered from poachers indicating serious drawbacks in its conservation efforts.



The global population of tigers, which was more than 100,000 in the beginning of the 20th century had declined to less than 4,000 in the beginning of the 21st century. The species of tiger has also declined from eight to five over the past five decades, thanks to increasing incidents of poaching, habitat destruction and lack of prey animals. There are only 13 countries in this world where panther tigris are found in the wild. North Korea, which was regarded as one of the tiger range countries 5 years ago, is no more a tiger country now.




The 13 tiger range countries include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. Among the South Asian countries, Sri Lanka never had a tiger and in Pakistan the beast had vanished decades ago.



Nepal, India and Bhutan are where the largest number of tiger population is concentrated with the estimated population of adult tigers to be 1,650 as per the latest estimate. Malaysia has the second-largest concentration of tiger population (500). China and Russia have 450, Sumatra and Indonesia have 400 and Malaysia has 200-300 tigers.



WWF has identified top 10 tiger trouble spots in 2010 that is hindering conservation efforts.

• India is facing serious threat to its tiger population mainly due to tiger-human conflict and habitat degradation.


• Bangladesh is facing problem due to the rise in sea level and the most remarkable effect can be seen in Sundarban mangrove forest, a major tiger habitat, which may decline by 96 percent in this century.


• In Russia, illegal logging and poaching is taking a heavy toll on Amur tigers.


• China being the largest market for tiger parts is causing threat to tigers not only within the country but in the neighboring countries as well. In Vietnam too, traditional belief that tiger parts have medicinal value, is threatening the existence of tigers.


• The US, where more than 5,000 tigers are in captivity, is causing pressure on tiger range countries for illegal trade due to the supply of tiger parts from captive-bred tigers.


• Due to the growing demand for palm oil fuels in Europe, habitats are being destroyed in Indonesia and Malaysia, which are home to a large number of tigers.


• Nepal, sandwiched between India (with large tiger population) and China (where tiger parts are in high demand) has become a major crossroad for illegal trade in tiger parts.


• The poorly managed Greater Mekong region (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) with hundreds of proposed new dams and roads is damaging watersheds and increasing access to poachers causing threat to tigers.


• Growing demand for paper and palm oil has been damaging habitats causing threat to the tiger population in Indonesia and Malaysia, where 400 Sumatran tigers reside.

Amidst these challenges, it is really a tough job to conserve tigers in the wild so that our future generations will be able to see it. WWF has launched a global campaign this year with the slogan “Double or Nothing: Save the wild tigers and save so much more.” In fact, the number of tigers has reached a critical point in many tiger range countries and experts fear that we may soon reach a point of no return for wild tigers in many places in Asia. The tiger habitat is being destroyed in such a rapid manner that within 12 years, 60 percent of the habitat has already been lost and the tiger’s historical range has declined to just 7 percent. If this trend continues, tigers may face extinction like dinosaurs in the not too distant future.



Conserving tigers is actually a great job as its viable population represents effective protection of wetlands and forests. Tigers remain on top of the food chain in a natural ecosystem. The number of tigers depends upon the availability of its prey animals, which feed on grass and herbs. In fact, to preserve tigers, we need to protect its prey animals and ultimately protect the forest and the environment.



During the Global Tiger Workshop held in Kathmandu in October last year, Nepal government made three commitments to save tigers: Establishing Banke National Park expanding the tiger habitat in the west, setting up of National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to control poaching. In fact, these commitments will prove as significant steps of the government toward conservation if they are implemented before the Vladivostok Head of the State Level Summit slated for September 2010 in Russia.



To save tigers, what we need is political commitment and conservation should get national priority. Unless there is commitment on the part of the government, the major political parties and all stakeholders to preserve the big cat, conservation efforts cannot be fruitful. Proper management of tiger habitat, efforts to reduce tiger-human conflict in the buffer zones, protection of prey animals, conserving wetlands in protected areas, establishing well-managed corridors for free movement of the wild animals, creating public awareness about conservation and regular patrolling for checking poaching are the major tasks required for effective conservation. Poverty is a key factor that needs to be addressed properly for the success of conservation efforts. The local villagers living in tiger areas should feel that they can earn more from protecting the tiger than helping the poachers to kill them.



As Nepal, sandwiched between two Asian giants India and China, has become a major transit point for trafficking in tiger parts, trans-boundary cooperation in conservation efforts has become crucial for the protection of the wild cat.



sirish27@yahoo.com

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