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Mention
Bengal and you can't help but think of the Royal Bengal Tiger. A magnificent animal,
the Bengal tiger is today under severe threat. It's habitat is shrinking with
tremendous population and livestock pressure, not to mention the menace of poaching.
The situation has reached a crisis point and aggressive conservation is the only
way out to save the big cat.
| West
Bengal
has
the
world's
largest
number of
Tigers
| |
Almost
60 per cent of the world's tiger population is in India, with the largest concentration
in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. Spread over two sanctuaries, one in
the Sundarbans,
which
lies in the Gangetic delta where the river Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal, and
in other in Buxa Dooars, in the Himalayan foothills, West Bengal has over 360
tigers. Thanks to conservation programmes of the Wildlife Wing of the West Bengal
Forest Department, the decline in tiger population has been halted. Efforts are
now on to ensure that their number grows.
In
the last 100 years, tiger populations have declined by 95 per cent due to a combination
of factors: habitat loss, trophy hunting, pest control, and the increased use
of tiger bone-based medicines. This has resulted in the extinction of three sub-species:
the Bali, Caspian and Javan. Three more - the South China, Amur and Sumatran -
are in danger of the same fate, and populations of the Indo-Chinese and Bengal
tiger are declining rapidly. The situation is serious - tigers are disappearing
fast.
The
first official estimation of the Indian Tiger population was done in 1972, recording
about 1800 animals in the
wild.
This led to
setting up of a task force under the IBWL (???) and based on their recommendations,
"Project Tiger" was launched in 1973
beginning with nine sites (one of them being Sunderbans) in India. Currently there
are
25
sites in the country, two being in West Bengal (Buxa was included in 1992).
Sunderbans is considered
as the largest prograding delta of the world. The Indian part covers 9630 sq km
and has been declared the "Biosphere Reserve". Project Tiger covers 2550 sq km
of which 1692 sq km is the core area (National Park) and has also been declared
as "World Heritage Site".
Click
for a worldwide
tiger distribution
map...
Sundarban's
unique mangrove ecosystem (containing 64 mangrove species) holds the largest single
population of tigers in the wild. A remarkable conservation strategy with modern
wildlife and habitat management has helped revive a wide variety of flora and
fauna that would otherwise have become extinct. Sundarban's now has around 260
tigers and their numbers are improving.
The river terrapin 'Batagur
Baska' has reappeared on the beaches after almost a century. The salt water crocodile
thrives again. Possibilities of cross-border cooperation between India and Bangladesh
for jointly working for saving the tiger are enormous and could lead to more focused
attention of the world.
If Sundarban's in now a famous wildlife brand
around the world, results of the conservation efforts at the Buxa sanctuary in
the Himalayan foothills of north Bengal are no less remarkable.
The
rhino
too has
been saved |
|
Buxa
is in the critical corridor with Assam (in extreme north-eastern corner of India)
and Bhutan. Once a favoured hunting ground of the trophy hunters, the wildlife
population had touched a critical low. But that is now history. Buxa has long
re-established its pristine status. Habitat improvement measures viz canopy opening,
plantation of palatable grasses and fodder species, ground water recharging, fire
protection and more have yielded satisfactory results. Efforts are on to reintroduce
the extinct faunal species. Buxa has now XXX tigers.
An overnight
train journey from Kolkata can take you to the Jaldapara and Mahananda wildlife
sanctuaries famous for their one-horned Asian Rhinoceros and Elephants. Saving
the rhino is an incredible conservation story. Once threatened by poaching in
the commonly mistaken belief that their horn is an aphrodisiac, the rhino has
made a comeback thanks to conservation efforts. Once again despite tremendous
pressure of population and livestock, the wildlife department has been able to
save this wonderful animal and their habitat.
Jaldapara and Mahananda
also contain a growing population of tigers. Challenging wildlife management strategies
were implemented in the conservation of the two mega-species with conflicting
demands over relatively small confines of sanctuaries. The hard work has been
greatly rewarding. Both the rhino and the tiger populations in Jaldapara and the
elephant and tiger population in Mahananda have shown upward trends.
Neora valley National Park is Bengal's crowning glory . The inviolate area
of 88 sq km has been preserved the way nature wanted it to be. Periodic monitoring
has shown enormous wealth of wild flora and fauna, particularly the tiger.
The
success of Project Tiger has shown that, no species, howsoever important, can
be conserved in isolation. Over the years we have also learnt that "no park howsoever
well managed, can be protected in isolation of the people of its surrounds". Active
involvement of the local people in the management of the parks make the conservation
measures more effective and the resource sharing ensures reciprocity of commitment.
Participatory micro planning has fostered ownership.
The residents of
Sunderbans now perceive tiger protection efforts serving their own interest. The
people of Buxa are aware that the investments under the India Ecodevelopment Project
are because of its unique tiger habitat.
| 3
tiger
subspecies, Bali,
Caspian
& the Javan
are extinct
| |
The
nineties witnessed an unprecedented escalation in illegal trade in wildlife and
its derivatives. Huge demand for tiger bones and other body parts as a macho supplement,
added new dimension to the 'threats' facing the tiger.
In West
Bengal, strategies were quickly reviewed, expert studies commissioned and recommendations
implemented to counter this threat. Despite international boundaries and trade
routes, significant drain was avoided. This has been our singular achievement.
Database updating, collaboration with various government and non-government enforcement
agencies are some of the continuing efforts to save the Tiger.
An
essential prerequisite for successful wildlife management is monitoring of investments
and evaluation of its effects. Wild animal census is one such management tool.
Surveillance and monitoring of wildlife in protected areas across the state is
now a regular practice. A formal census regime of tiger population in Project
Tiger reserves every two years, and in the rest of the areas every four years,
as per guidelines of the Central Government, is strictly followed.
Population
composition and the dynamics are quite encouraging. The last All India Census
1997 showed presence of around 360 animals in the wild in the state. Tranquilization
and translocation of aberrant tigers has been perfected in the State. Stray tigers
are captured in trap cages or tranquilized, and released back into the wild after
veterinary care and examination.
TAIL
TALES
This is one of the few States where the aberrant tiger gets a second chance to
freedom.
In an incredible real-life incident a 'darted' tiger jumped
into the river in the Sunderbans. Throwing his own safety to the winds, the officer
who shot the animal with the tranquilizer gun dived into the river which is full
of crocodiles, and held the head of the big cat above the surface of the water
so it wouldn't drown after the tranquilliser took effect. The rest of the team
then rushed in and rescued man and animal!
|
he
caught
a tiger by
the t a i l
… |
Sitting
around the fire, there are no dearth of wildlife stories if you find an officer
in the mood. Officers once came across a pregnant tigress that had strayed into
a village in the Sunderbans. Come daybreak, there was absolute mayhem all around
and the frightened animal, surrounded by noisy villagers, scrambled up a date
palm tree to seek refuge. It was more scared than the villagers. The animal was
darted but it went to sleep perched on the tree top. An intrepid villager climbed
up and tied a rope to the animal's tail. The tigress was then pulled down onto
a stretched net but it suddenly decided to wake up, as the effect of the tranquiliser
wore off. Keeping their cool, officers quickly managed to inject another dose
of sedative, putting it back to sleep. The cat was caged and after proper examination
released in its habitat.
These are inspiring acts of courage and dedication to save the tiger. Irrespective
of caste, creed,
religion or social standing, people take pride in their very own Royal Bengal
Tiger. The Government of West Bengal has responded wholeheartedly to the conservation
and protection of the tiger and its habitat as part of its
commitment to renew and protect the state's glorious heritage.
Protect
Tiger has completed 25 eventful years as the largest and most successful conservation
project of its kind in the world.
....
