Save our Big Cats

Akhila Satchidanandam 

                                                                                 

One of the popular talks today on news channels, class rooms and enviro clubs is the wildlife conservation issue – particularly, Tigers in Asia, the reason being its vanishing from existence. At the beginning of 20th century, Bengal Tiger population in India was 40,000. In 1972, however this figure diminished to a mere 1,827. The paucity of estimated Tiger population as of Feb 12th 2008 was alarming - a mere 1,411. So, are we going to conveniently blame it on global warming again? Fortunately or unfortunately, it is most likely that we don’t have that luxury this time. The reason is the fact that it has been proved too many a times and in too many instances that man has been the direct culprit. Tiger poaching – how worse a fate can our dear national animal be subjected to…. The very existence of our symbol of pride, icon of sinew is at stake. May be global warming and other environmental issues do have their parts to play but man’s indiscriminate killing of the Tigers is on the strategic forefront.

As a result of the shocking figures of the 1972 census, Project Tiger was launched to save the Big Cats in the same year, as proposed by World Wildlife Fund (WWF). As the core initiative, about 10 Tiger national parks were established throughout India which has grown to 27 now. As per the statistics flaunted by Project Tiger programme, there has been a substantial increase in the Big Cat population between 1972 and 2002 from 1,827 to 3,642. If Project Tiger was so successful, why has the number of Tigers shrunk to a 1,411 in 2008? And why hasn’t the Project Tiger committee updated the statistics past 2002? The answer is evident – numbers have been manipulated by the authorities, with a selfish motive, possibly to lend a “helping hand” to “the great traders of China”. Following the Project Tiger failure revelation, Tiger population was monitored by several government and non-government organizations. To their dismay, some Tiger reserves showed no traces of even a single Tiger.

The reason for such rapid decline in the number of Tigers is because of indiscriminate Tiger poaching. Tiger skin, tooth, claws, bones and even skull are greatly in demand among the tribal of China. Most popular market locale for these Tiger products are Nagchu, Lhasa, Litang, Kandling, Songpan and Linxia of China located right across Indian border. It is a matter of pride for these tribals to adorn themselves with Tiger skin, ornaments made from their bones and claws – more common during festivals. Supposedly, it determines ones economic status among the tribal groups. UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has been calling for rigorous action to protect wildlife world over. Appropriate steps were proposed to be taken and it was agreed from an analysis that Nepal, China and India require strict enforcements but reportedly, the governments were not responsive enough to consummate these enforcements.

                                            

India’s action: As per the Wildlife Protection act of 1972, amended in 2006, Tiger and leopard skin traders would be sentenced a 7 year imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 5,00,000 imposed. Property derived from illegal trade can be confiscated.

These law enforcements are with respect to post poaching. But, whats the way to put an end to this poaching in the first place? Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and Environmental Impact Association (EIA) went about stealthily investigating on how smuggling Tiger products in such large numbers across the border is possible. From their visit to Lhasa, TAR, Linxia and Gansu, and interaction with the tribals, it was made clear that these Tiger products were transported through mountain passes and official border crossings through couriers. One of the traders, WPSI interacted with explicitly stated “

I can guarantee goods because I have a passport. Have good customs contact and also I have access to coolies who can smuggle them over.

 Seemingly, tribals are not the only group that buys these animal products but also government officials, army officers, business men etc from mainland China according to one of the traders.

Mere passing of a law will not mend things. Its high time Tiger poaching is curbed. The following are some immediate steps to be taken:

• Mount surveillance cameras in the Tiger reserves especially at the encroachments and monitor them constantly
• Spread awareness and the need to conserve Tigers should be promulgated to the remotest part of the country (city dwellers get enough of email forwards….. though I wonder how many truly got educated)
• High security should be stationed at mountain passes and possible smuggling routes between India and China
• Levy heavy penalty on those found guilty
• Isolate couple Tigers and provide congenial mating niche (though it is to increase the population, I think it needs to be done hand in hand with measures to save the existing Tigers)

Government’s negligence can not be tolerated any further. No matter how veraciously NGOs try to protect wildlife, they have limited prospective to put their plans into action. Assigning the entire responsibility to NGOs and non-profit organizations may better the present scenario assuming the absence of politics and corruption.

Wildlife safety and conservation in India unfortunately, has not been considered a critical issue. Apparently, we have been so desperately bent on improving our standards that environment and wildlife preservation has become a trivial issue. Animals have the right to live and die natural death as much as we do. If this rate at which Tigers are being poached continues, we will have to tell our grand children, “There used to be this fierce, sinewy animal called Tiger, it had yellow body and black stripes which was our national animal. And they are no more on this planet.” Its therefore high time we take rigorous measures to protect the Panthera tigris. As citizens, it is our duty to divulge our concern to the ignorant and the government.

Kindly leave comments on how you think wildlife can be conserved in India. Perhaps we could make a list of it and circulate it.