India has doubled its tiger population in a decade, a little time span of 10 years, this has been revealed by a study published in the journal Science. The national animal of India, Bengal tiger that was once declared an ‘endangered species’ is now thriving in the wild. In early 2000s, experts had warned the world that the ‘big cat’ will soon go extinct, but thanks to the conservation efforts in India, there is a significant growth in the tiger population.

According to the National Tiger Population Authority, the number of tigers in India have grown from an estimated 1,706 in 2010 to around 3,682 in 2022, increasing at a rate of 10% per annum. The country is now abode to an average 75% of the global tiger population, spread across 138,200 square kilometers area which is about half the size of UK.

The increased urbanization, increased human use of forest resources, poaching, human-wildlife conflicts, habitat loss have posed problems for the wild, threatening their growth. But overcoming all these, here is how India managed through a remarkable recovery with the constant tiger conservation efforts:

Important steps taken for tiger conservation: Big lessons for the world

The published study in the journal Science says India’s success “offers important lessons for tiger range countries”. Indeed, it is. For the conservation efforts adopted have not only benefitted the biodiversity at large, but also the nearby communities. Here is the how:

Enough prey for the big cat

There is plenty of food for the tigers to prey on, this includes deer, wild boar and other ungulates. They do not exhibit a man eating behavior. Thus, in the tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, the tigers have enough availability of food. They are evolved to hunt and feed on the prey species in their native habitats.

Reducing human-wildlife conflict

In the states of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand tigers share a significant portion of land with people. In order to deal with human-wildlife conflict in these areas, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has issued three Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to manage – the issue of dispersing tigers, livestock kills so that no conflict arises, and relocating the tigers in source areas to the areas where their density is low so that conflict does not occur. The limited habitat interventions can lead to less spillover of wildlife minimizing human-animal conflict. 

Awareness campaigns are also run to sensitize, guide and educate the common people about the man-animal conflict.

Wildlife protection legislation to ensure protection and habitat loss

Tiger conservation largely relies on the strong protection legislation of India. This is to protect them from poaching and habitat loss. Poaching cases have seen a significant dip in recent times. There was a massive hunting earlier, for the tiger’s skin, nails and much more, particularly enough for establishing a status. The strong framework of legislation includes:

Wildlife Protection Act (1972) that prohibits poaching, trading and harming tiger habitats

Project tiger (1973) an initiative by the Government of India that established dedicated tiger reserves in the country to protect tiger population. 

Forest Conservation Act (1980) that protects forests of India and the biodiversity, that regulates the use of forest land for non-forestry purpose.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (2005), a wildlife conservation agency that aims to protect the endangered species.

Along with this, the Central Government sponsored scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats provides for the funding support of Tiger conservation plans. Site specific management interventions are undertaken to improve the quality of wildlife habitat.    

Improvement in the lives of nearby communities

The local communities that live nearby to the tiger populated areas have benefitted with the increase in tiger population. The foot traffic and revenues brought in by eco-tourism has been a boon for the communities.

As many as 60 million people living in farming communities and settlements outside of tiger reserves and national parks are sharing land with the tigers. Economic prosperity along with the sustainable use of ecosystems can only add to the recovery of tigers.   

Community support

Tiger conservation could never have been possible without active community participation. The animal had almost disappeared from various areas that were not near national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas. Local communities are lending their hand in ensuring the growth in tiger population. Some communities have even taken an oath not to cut trees and be 'tiger friends'. They participate in conservation efforts, community based programmes and are engaged in rural prosperity. 

While the tiger conservation efforts are promising, there is also the need to ensure the similar for other wild species as well. To mention, the Great Indian Bustard and Caracal, stand on the edge of extinction. Therefore, more stringent efforts need to be adopted and again, the government and communities have to strive for it. The success of tiger conservation in India can be called ‘a ray of hope’ that also reflects how man and wild can survive together, rather grow in the long run!