One in three tigers live outside reserves: Report

TIGER SURVEY 2018 India recorded a 33% increase in tiger numbers from 2014 and 2018

NEW DELHI: One in every three tigers in India lives outside reserves, according to a report, Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India (2018) released on Tuesday, highlighting the challenge of protecting India’s national animal and reducing instances of man-animal conflict. The proportion has increased from around the one in every four tigers living outside reserves according to a 2014 study.

India recorded a 33% increase in tiger numbers from 2014 to 2018, according to the summary of the report, All India Tiger Estimation Results, released last year. There were 2,967 tigers in India in 2018, compared to 2,226 in 2014. Currently, the tiger population within reserves is 1,923, which means that 35% of the population is still outside tiger reserves.

No tigers were recorded in Mizoram’s Dampa and West Bengal’s Buxa tiger reserves while they face the severe threat of local extinction in Jharkhand’s Palamau reserve, according to the report. Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is among reserves at or nearing capacity, had the largest population of tigers—about 231—in 2018, the report released by Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar added.

Madhya Pradesh had the most tigers (526), followed by 524 in Karnataka and 442 in Uttarakhand. Madhya Pradesh overtook Karnataka, which recorded the highest number of tigers in 2014—406

The largest contiguous tiger population in the world—about 724—was found in the Western Ghats (Nagarhole-bandipurwayanad-mudumalaisatyamangalam-brt block). The second largest— about 604—was found across Uttrakhand and western Uttar Pradesh (Rajajicorbett-ramnagar-pilibhitdudhwa).

Bandhavgarh, Bandipur, Nagarhole, Mudumalai, and Kaziranga had over 100 tigers each while Dudhwa, Kanha, Tadoba, Sathyamangalam, and Sundarban had over 80 each.

Three tigers each were recorded in Dampa and Palamau and two in Buxa during the 2014 tiger estimation exercise. “Although, no tiger images were obtained during the sampling session but Dampa Tiger Reserve is one of the important cross-boundary tiger reserves important for the tiger and other wildlife conservation by providing connectivity to other protected and forested area,” the report said.

“Even in 2014 the estimate of three tigers was based on molecular work and not direct sightings or tiger signs. This time the entire park including core and buffer area was surveyed but no tigers were seen. My sense is that there were always a very low number of tigers in Dampa. To the west of Dampa there is an open border with Bangladesh. They may be moving there. But the habitat in Dampa is phenomenal and so is the diversity of felines-- marbled cats; golden cat, leopard cat etc. Forest guards are working in extremely difficult conditions but the reserve supports so much diversity possibly because of them,” said Priya Singh, an independent wildlife biologist who has focused her research on Dampa.

No tiger was recorded in Palamau Tiger Reserve, which once had a healthy population of tigers, during the 2018 assessment. One tiger was photo captured and evidence of tiger signs was recorded from the reserve from January to August 2019.

Corbett, Kaziranga, Nagarhole, Ranthambore are among tiger reserves at or nearing capacity. “Some reserves reaching capacity is an issue. We have to see how we can maintain carrying capacity through habitat manipulation. For example, if grasslands are managed well, they can support a good number of herbivores which in turn can support a large number of tigers,” said National Tiger Conservation Authority member secretary SP Yadav.