Eye Tiger on the
On International Tiger Day today, ANIRUDH CHAOJI, ecologist at Melghat Tiger Reserve, trails the tiger’s trajectory
My first introduction to big cats is a fuzzy memory of my uncle proudly displaying the skin of a leopard he claimed to have shot in the forests near Nagpur. He used to be a shikari of some sort – for which I had developed a strong resentment towards him. I don’t think I was already a nature lover at that young age. But then, I also have a faint memory of fighting a bunch of older kids who had killed – what I can remember was a beautifully colourful bird. I had snatched that little bird and tried desperately to revive it – but in vain. The stone from the catapult was too big for the little soul.
Probably, due to my father’s genes, I had developed a strong hatred for people who killed or injured animals. This hatred only grew into madness as I grew older. The leopard skin itself had to be surrendered to the government post the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act and eventually, even the gun was given away. But my feelings for that person never changed. In today’s world he would have been labelled as a poacher.
But in the pre-1970 era, though it might sound ridiculous to the present young generation who shoot wildlife with cameras and zoom lenses, India was actually a major shikar destination. Shikar companies would advertise worldwide, inviting people to come and shoot wildlife in the Indian forests. We are told that it was nothing short of a massacre then – with rules and regulations thrown to winds.
Independence effect
In fact, India’s Independence Day, was actually wildlife’s doomsday! Earlier, during the Raj days, the erstwhile royals and the Europeans protected wildlife – simply because they wanted to enjoy the game! But post Independence, Indian wilderness was orphaned. Tigers and leopards were specially sought for, but then in their absence – anything that moved, was killed. It wasn’t poaching – it was officially permitted hunting.
The post Independence period also saw our fast ‘progress’ towards self reliance in agriculture and industry. Large tracts of forests were cleared to make way for civilised India to march on. With the ushering in of the green revolution, national priorities were all directed towards feeding the multi-million mouths. Forest covers depleted as never before. Agricultural encroachments caused major fragmentation in the original contiguous forests.
One animal that specifically suffered in the process was the tiger. Tigers need good forests and a strong prey base. What we did not realise in our race for development, was that humans and tigers don’t co-exist. One of them has to go. It was the tiger who almost vanished.
In 1972, the first ever nationwide tiger census stunned the country from its slumber. From an estimated 40,000 tigers at the turn of the century, we were left with just around 1800... We were actually staring at a complete annihilation of the tiger.
Extinction averted
Fortunately however, partly because of the strong international pressure and also more importantly, because India had a nature lover Prime Minister in Indira Gandhi – India managed to bring back the Royal Bengal Tiger from what could realistic have become an extinction. The planet in the meanwhile had already lost the Caspian tiger in the 1950s. Bali tiger vanished in 1937 and the Javan tiger disappeared at the same time that we could have easily lost all ours... around 1972. Today, the South China tiger is almost gone – with just a token 20 – 30 left in the wilds. It’s only in India that we have managed to protect the last remaining tigers.
Mrs Gandhi immediately set up a task force to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach. And very soon, in 1973 India saw the launch of the prestigious Project Tiger movement in 9 tiger national parks across India. The original 13,000 sq km landscape included forests of Manas in Assam, Palamau in Bihar, Similipal in Orissa, Corbett in U.P., Kanha in M.P., Melghat in Maharashtra, Bandipur in Karnataka, Ranthambhore in Rajasthan and Sunderbans in West Bengal.
These tiger reserves were created on the principle of totally protecting the core area, which would be surrounded by a Buffer Area, where certain conservation based land use would be permitted. Simultaneously habitat repair works also began to facilitate recovery of the badly damaged tiger forests. This process development was funded by our Central Government with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) making a generous contribution of a million dollars worth of equipments, expertise and literature.
Very heartening results were soon visible with many tigresses being spotted with little cubs. The main achievement of this project was the excellent recovery of the habitat in all those 9 tiger reserves and consequent increase in the tiger population from a mere 268 tigers there. Over the years, the number of tiger reserves has increased and the overall picture had improved for the other wildlife too.
Boom Time
Project Tiger was based on a simple fact that since the tigers were at the apex of the food chain, their numbers could be an indicator of the health of the forest. For a good tiger population to exist, the forest would have to possess a good prey base, which in turn would depend on the excellent vegetation available. This meant, by protecting just one species of animal, an entire habitat could be conserved – thereby eliminating the need to launch separate efforts to protect individual species. Thus saving the tigers would amount to saving the entire ecosystem, which was so crucial for man’s own survival.
Tigers need good forests to survive. Very soon people noticed that many of the tiger forests were actually some of our most important watersheds –sources of many of our important rivers. This specifically meant that saving the tigers was extremely important to ensure India’s water security and hence the agricultural independence.
In the following years many more tiger reserves were created by including not just the prominent national parks but also their adjoining sanctuaries and reserve forests. This was meant to protect the tigers in their total ranging forest habitats. Results were impressive. India’s Project Tiger was seen as the best conservation movement worldwide. From a measly 1800, the tiger numbers went over a healthy 4000. Many neighbouring countries as well as Russia and China expressed keen interest in wanting to replicate the project.
In the subsequent Five Year Plans, the government provided the much needed impetus to enlarge the core and buffer zones in many tiger reserves in addition to carving out new ones. This was also accompanied by intensified protection and strengthening of the research activities.
The Project Tiger movement by now was receiving high acclaim from far and near. The success of the Project Tiger was reflected in constantly increasing numbers. Tourists were coming back with pictures of tigers, tigresses and their cubs from different parts of the country. And we were all happy with the revival of the super predator in India.
Shocking reality
Even as the nature lovers of the country were toasting to the success of what could have been termed only as a Mission Impossible – just a couple of decades ago... came a bombshell. Wildlife journalist Jai Mujumdar wrote in Indian Express that there were no tigers left in Sariska, Rajasthan. Nation was shocked! There were denials issued after denials, however the CBI enquiry eventually confirmed Jai’s story. Soon another story broke from Panna in Madhya Pradesh and then from Namdapha in Arunachal that the tigers were missing from these forests too. Later Ranthambore reported only 16 tigers against the claimed 40.
A dream had been shattered. Nation woke up to the demons of poaching. Poachers were meeting the demands for tiger coat, bones, claws and body parts in the East Asian markets. These unscrupulous gangs were smuggling tiger parts across the border into Tibet, from where they were shipped to factories that produced medicines that ‘claimed’ to cure every possible human ailment and actually professed aphrodisiac properties too! Little wonder, there was such a great demand for these medicines. This was a second crisis for the Royal Bengal tiger. Wildlife Institute of India’s new research put the tiger numbers at around 1400, which had dipped even below those during the first crisis. Government swung into action. There were raids across the country and people like Sansar Chand were finally arrested. But the damage was already done.
Hope floats
However, the positive change that took place as a result of this crisis was that the Forest Departments received a fresh mandate to protect the remaining wilderness areas. National Tiger Conservation Authority was established. New tiger reserves were declared. In many tiger areas, armed guards were brought in.
Today the tiger and other wildlife need a more compassionate approach from the exponentially growing human population. Tiger reserves are no doubt a good way of sustaining tiger populations. But what is more important is to establish corridors between the islands of conservation to ensure that we do not end up with in-bred and genetically poor tigers. Forests in the Eastern part of Maharashtra and the Western Ghats are the last remaining tiger strongholds. If human civilization seeks to remain on this planet for long, it has to ensure that such good forested watersheds that give us our precious water – should remain in a good health.
Explorer, wildlifer, trekker, scuba diver, sky diver, river rafter, birdwatcher and a nomad for life, Anirudh Chaoji founded Pugmarks. He works in the Forest Department at Melghat Tiger Reserve as an Ecologist in the field of community-based conservation.