30-Dec-2024

Royal Bengal Tiger

Environment & Ecology

Why in News? 

Zeenat, a three-year-old tiger, escaped from the Simlipal Tiger Reserve earlier this month. It was eventually captured on Sunday after being tranquilized in West Bengal's Bankura district. 

  

Tiger Conservation Status and Efforts in India 

Conservation Status 

  • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I 
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered 
  • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): Appendix I 

Tigers in India 

  • India hosts more than 70% of the world's tiger population. 
  • There are 53 tiger reserves across 18 states in the country. 
  • The 2018 tiger census reported an increase in the tiger population. 
  • India met its target of doubling the tiger population four years ahead of the 2022 deadline set by the St. Petersburg Declaration on tiger conservation. 
  • India's conservation strategy emphasizes the active participation of local communities in protecting tigers. 

Tiger Conservation Projects in India 

1. Project Tiger (1973) 

  1. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). 
  2. Aims to create secure habitats for tigers in the national parks of India. 

2. Recent Developments 

a. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently declared the combined areas of Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as India’s 53rd tiger reserve. 

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) 

  • A statutory body under the MoEFCC, established in 2005 based on the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. 

 

Simlipal Tiger Reserve 

  • Location: Situated in Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, part of Simlipal National Park, named after the "Simul" (silk cotton) trees. 
  • Geography: Covers 2,750 sq. km with core and buffer zones; features forests, grasslands, waterfalls, and rivers like Budhabalanga, Khairi, and Deo. 
  • Significance: Designated as a tiger reserve in 1973 under Project Tiger; a UNESCO biosphere reserve for global biodiversity conservation. 
  • Flora and Fauna 
    • Flora: Includes tropical moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, and sal forests. 
    • Fauna: Tigers, leopards, elephants, gaurs, sloth bears, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and rare melanistic tigers. 
  • Cultural Importance: Home to tribes like the Santhal and Ho, who depend on and coexist with the forest. 
  • Conservation Challenges: Threats include poaching, deforestation, and human-wildlife conflict. 
  • Initiatives: Measures under Project Tiger and eco-tourism initiatives aim to protect wildlife and support local communities.