Death of a tiger!

Ever since the downslide of the tiger in India has become apparent the causus belli has created deep consternation. First, it was the Project Tiger that elated than depressed. The NTPCA and whatnot. The downslide continues till today.

We keep on reading death of a tiger or tigress here and then. The same goes for the leopard albeit more extensive. The situation is so precarious that the loss of one tiger in present circumstances is equivalent to a hundred. The poaching of tigers in Panna and Sariska is a frightening spectacle since it happened right under the eye of the administration and that too in the core zones. Tiger deaths elsewhere ---- sans territorial fights... God they are

Question: Who was responsible, the poachers of course &......(sic)?

Question: Tourism (sic)?

Why it happened?

Since 1972 we are still learning and finding.....How to save the tiger?

Leopards in Kanha

The focus on tigers pushes this magnificent cat into the background. In most of the Indian tiger reserves, leopards are not much sought after. They are treated as one the inhabitants of the ecosystem. Very little work is done on these animals except at places where man-eating menace exists.

Though much is required, the attention only to the tiger is not a good policy. Consequent studies and research on both will assist in the conservation of all big cats in the country. There are many common characteristic features in these carnivores, and discovering facts related to one will lead to helping the other. 

Kanha is a largely intact ecosystem that is home to leopards besides the Bengal Tiger. The tiger's presence puts the animal in a precarious situation - a kind of nightmarish existence. This is the main reason for the leopard to turn nocturnal and make an arboreal existence. In Sri Lanka where the tiger is absent, these cats exhibit diurnal behavior. 

In Kanha National Park the panther is more active in the periphery of the forests and the surrounding villages. Its range covers most of the buffer zone with some presence in the core area as well. Frequent incidences of livestock killing are those by leopards and surprisingly the animal has killed livestock bigger in size as was evident at Boda Chhapri Village.  But the core is noticeably dominated by the tigers. In a conflict with the tiger, the panther is killed and eaten without fail. Hence the spacing mechanism adopted by this animal is remarkable but nevertheless, many of these cats are hunted down by tigers. The extent is not known in absence of reliable data but I presume the figure would be on the higher side.    

The competition for food is one reason for this lack of tolerance among these tertiary carnivores. The leopard cannot kill animals larger than female sambar deer, it definitely avoids large-sized prey species. Its adaptability is more tenacious than that of the striped cat.  It can live on consuming small animals, birds, poultry, and livestock, besides the prey available in the forests. This animal can also survive in broken ecosystems or denuded forests with a little bit of day cover.

There are assumed to be around 70 leopards in Kanha Tiger Reserve in an area of 1940 sq km. But I believe that it is next to impossible to come to the correct conclusion since the animal moves in diverse habitats and is very elusive.  Extensive camera trapping can assist in this task besides keeping tabs on livestock predation and records of sightings. 

In Kanha Zone, a leopard was seen regularly last year near the Khatia Gate. One animal has been seen and photographed several times on link road 7.  This animal is rarely seen in the grasslands of the reserve since these are dominated by the much larger striped cousin. I have seen them near villages at night on Kanha Indri Road sulking in nullahs bushes in search of suitable livestock.   

The status of this animal is precarious all over with a lot of killing by man wherever it survives. The number of hides being confiscated from poachers is suggestive of very large numbers being killed in India. This is going to result in the complete extermination of the animal from a large part of its historical range. Man-animal conflict and urbanization of denuded forests add to the quick decrease in population.  

Tiger Safari: Rates Kanha & Bandhavgarh

From the coming season, the new vehicle entry rates will apply. The parks will open on 16th October as usual.

Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve tourism zones have been changed and upgraded.

At Kanha, the Kanha Zone is notified as premium and its charges are:

Rs.1500 for Indians and Rs.3000 for foreigners. Besides this guide fees filming fee, etc will also apply.

Other zones are Mukki & Sarhi Gates.

At Bandhavgarh, the vehicle entry fee is Rs.2000 for Indians and Rs. 4000 for foreigners. This is for Tala Zone which is premium.  

Other Zones are Panpatha, Khitauli, and Magadhi Zones.

Jeep hire is extra for that contact manager of your accommodation in the tiger reserve.  

Access to zones may be from outside so leave in advance and be prepared to pay more for an extra ride to reach the gates.  

Each Wednesday evening safaris are closed, so schedule village/school tours for this day evening. 

In the notification by the forest department, no tariff is given for nonpremium zones. Visit MP Online  for more information. There is vehicle restriction inside the park hence book your gate entry in advance. This can be done at MP Online. 

Leopard Fights Back

The incident at Siliguri village in Darjeeling is one of the many warnings that the big cat is as threatened as the tiger. The leopard is in as precarious a condition as the tiger is. The animal was petrified in human surroundings and eventually died (killed). We have no solutions for man-animal conflicts. 

The mishandling is an eye-opener as to how the whole country faces a crisis. The administration and rulers of this country are enmeshed in attributes that help seek a way out rather than face the situation boldly. What were the policemen and forest guard doing there well fulfilling their duty? 

There was no solution from the top level for an incident that is a regular occurrence. The immobilization should have been as fast as possible and proper. The big cat was on defensive strayed perhaps by some mental aberration or hunger into human habitation.  A precious life could have been saved. Yes, big cats and all life forms constitute precious life. If there is any doubt please go back to Vedas.    

The human reaction to intrusion by other life forms will always be aggressive defense or offense - an action wherein the animal always suffers. The cats are on brink of extinction thanks to our selfish approach and greed. It has yet to be apparent that we should work in an ecosystem. The loss of other life forms does not create a loss among us. Somewhere down the line, we will realize, how dependent we are on others. Our coming generation will have no solutions for past misdeeds. They will only regret and curse.              

Tiger Safari More Expensive

Though I am not citing a confirmed report, it is obvious that rates will go up.  I have heard from a hotelier in Bandhavgarh about the increase in gate fees in all Central Indian Tiger Reserves. For a long time, the administration was intent on increasing gate fees and all related fees. How much increase there is yet to be seen by the author.  

This is necessary as the cost has gone up as they are bound to. Even the jeep safari rates have gone up which is understood. The rates of petrol affect the transportation cost all over India hence the tiger reserve. 

Will this impact tourism in our tiger reserves?

Well yes and no!

The rich will continue to come here and enjoy their wildlife holidays in larger numbers. The tigers and their habitat receive tremendous publicity in wildlife magazines and on TV. This diverts more and more people towards tiger tourism in India.

But the increasing cost of the tours will certainly affect the middle class and those below. The major impact will be on the hotels and resorts since not all cater to upscale tourists.  Most of the accommodation will be stressed.

The negative aspect is that nature should be witnessed by a wide spectrum of society. It is quite understood that visitors begin to understand nature close and develop a more practical approach towards it and its conservation. A lot of Indian tourists who visit these preserves on a budget are going to be deprived of this eye-opening experience and miss out on this amazing inheritance.   This applies to budget travelers from foreign soils as well. The negative impact of increased safari costs will make tiger tourism appear to be a prerogative of the wealthy. This will certainly create antipathy toward these parks among the have not’s.    

For school-going children a park visit is a learning experience and is vital for them. These very kids will grow up with a positive attitude towards the environment and all other life forms.    

Some way has to be found out in order to invite less privileged people sans some privileges. Another answer is to open up more wildlife sanctuaries for tourism with proper infrastructure development. But are we very good at finding solutions to problems, take the case of tiger conservation in India?

Saving a Sanctuary

In a rare example, women in Bangladesh at Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary have taken the cudgel to save their precious heritage. Along with the forest guards they patrol the confines of the forest a vital elephant corridor. The women adorned in green saree work as volunteers but do get an initial compensation. They have succeeded in the task of preventing illegal wood felling and poaching. This has resulted in the forest recuperating quickly to regain its lost splendor.

The forests after local conservation efforts have shown remarkable signs of regeneration. There is a rational approach to benefiting from the forest produce with sharing arrangements between the department and the locals. In instances like these, the uses of natural resources become sustainable since the value system is based on conserving one's heritage. 

The women have shown an exemplary display of value system since very few realize the importance of the natural ecosystem. Forest wealth has been plundered by outsiders while those dependent upon it have watched helplessly. Well not in this case. Read more:  Sentinels of the forest    

The scourge of humanity has depleted all natural ecosystems for personal consumption. This is happening everywhere in India since the locals have not been educated regarding these priceless jewels. Once people realize that conserving these ecosystems is good for their communities more such conservation efforts will come into the picture. Involving local communities is safeguarding heritage wealth is a sound principle that will increase the preservation of forests and wildlife.      

MP Increasing tigers

The last tiger census showed an increase in the tiger population. This was heartening but the increase was not impressive by any means. More the Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister was not happy with the state figures.

The tigers have been declining in numbers in MP. The decline is more because the census methods have been improved. They are no longer at the mercy of the whims and fantasies of the park authorities. The recounting exercise carried out by the state government showed a minor increase. But this was more an ego-boosting exercise rather than a serious conjecture of what is happening.   

Panna was the first shocker and the falling numbers in other tigers' reserves are suggestive of some major issues. What we should keep in mind is that the ground situation may have gone worse. Disturbance in and around the reserves and the incidence of poaching cannot be ruled out.

Hence a proactive corrective stance is needed more than the counting exercise. Tiger conservation is important if we wish to save this wonderful apex mammal. Much depends on how we perceive this importance and go all out to save the species. India still retains the largest population of tigers in the wild. Let us get the ball rolling fetch and upswing scenario rather than the prevailing downslide.