Project tiger ..

Project Tiger

Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in 1973 by the Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure.

Objective of the program:

The project Tiger was launched in 1973 with the following objective:

• To ensure maintenance of available population of Tigers in India for scientific, aesthetic, economic and cultural and ecological value.
• To preserve, for all times, the area of such biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of people.

The Aim of the scheme:

• Conservation of endangered species
• Harmonising the rights of tribal people living in and around tiger reserve

Tiger Reserve

There are 50 tiger reserves in India which are governed by Project Tiger which is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). India is home to 70 percent of tigers in the world. In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers which increased to 1,706 in 2011 and 2,226 in 2014. The total number of wild tigers have gone up to 3890 in 2016 according to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum.

Tiger reserve are the areas notified for the protection of tiger and its prey and are governed by Project tiger which was launched in the country in 1973. Initially 9 tiger reserve were covered under the project and has currently increased to 42, falling in 17 states.

A tiger reserve includes 2 areas:

• Core Zone:

These are critical tiger habitat areas established, on the basis of scientific and objective criteria.

These areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of Tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of Schedule Tribes and other forest dwellers.

These are notified by the state government in consultation with an Expert Committee.

• Buffer Zone:

Peripheral areas to the core tiger reserve, where less habitat protection is required to ensure the integrity of the critical tiger habitat with adequate dispersal for tiger species.

It aims at promoting co-existence between wildlife and human activity with due recognition of the livelihood, developmental, social and cultural right of the local people.

The limit of Such areas is determined on the basis of scientific and objective criteria in consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha and an expert committee constituted for the purpose.

No altercation in the boundaries of a tiger reserve shall be made except on the recommendation of NTCA and approval of National Board for wild life

Estimation of Tiger Population:

Process of estimating tiger population is called “Tiger Census”. The exercise provides us with an estimate of tiger number, density and change in tiger indices- a measure of tiger occupancy in a given area.

It is conducted at regular interval to know the current tiger population and population trend, and also helps in gathering information on density of tiger population and associated prey.

In past, most common technique was “Pugmark census technique”. In this method, the imprints of the pugmark of tiger were recorded and used as a basis for identification of individuals.

Recent methods used to estimate the number of tigers are camera trapping and DNA finger printing. In camera trapping, the photographs of the tiger are taken and individuals are differentiated on the basis of the stripes on the body. In the latest technique of DNA fingerprinting, tigers can be identified from their scats.

Controversies and problems

• Project Tiger's efforts were hampered by poaching, as well as debacles and irregularities in Sariska and Namdapha, both of which were reported extensively in the Indian media.
• The Forest Rights Act passed by the Indian government in 2006 recognizes the rights of some forest dwelling communities in forest areas. This has led to controversy over implications of such recognition for tiger conservation.
• Some have argued that this is problematic as it will increase conflict and opportunities for poaching; some also assert that "tigers and humans cannot co-exist".
• Others argue that this is a limited perspective that overlooks the reality of human-tiger coexistence and the role of abuse of power by authorities, rather than local people, in the tiger crisis. This position was supported by the Government of India's Tiger Task Force, and is also taken by some forest dwellers' organizations.

Project Elephant

Project Elephant was launched in 1992 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to provide financial and technical support of wildlife management efforts by states for their free ranging populations of wild Asian Elephants.

The project aims to ensure long-term survival of viable conservation reliant populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and migration corridors.

Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating conservation awareness among local people, providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants.

Objectives:

• To protect elephants, their habitats and corridors.
• To address issue of man-animal conflict.
• Welfare of domesticated elephants

Elephant Corridors:

AN elephant corridor is defined as narrow strip of forested land that connects larger habitats with elephant population. It forms a conduit for animal movement between the habitats. This movement help enhances species survival and birth rate.

There are 88 identified elephant corridors in India. Of the total, 77.3% is regularly used by the elephant’s corridors in India. About one-third is of ecologically high priority and remaining two-third of medium priority

Threats to Elephant Corridors:

Primary threat is habitat loss leading to fragmentation and destruction caused by developmental activities like construction of buildings, roads, railways and holiday resorts etc.

Coal mining and iron ore mining is the “single biggest threat” to elephant corridors in India.

 There is also a serious poaching problem as elephant ivory tusk is extremely valuable.

Elephant needs extensive grazing grounds and most reserves cannot accommodate them. If protected areas are not large enough, elephants may search for food elsewhere. This often result in conflicts with humans, due to elephant raiding or destroying the crops.

Enumeration:

The first exclusive exercise for enumeration of wild elephants in the Elephant Reserve’s was conducted during February to May 2005. This exercise also sought to experiment with two sampling methods, viz. Block sampling and Line transect-Dung Count. PE arranged for training of trainers and also issued detailed guidelines to the chief wildlife wardens and the field coordinators. Total population of elephants in 2005 was nearly 21,200. The latest census carried out in 2012 put elephant numbers between 27,785 and 31,368.

Monitoring against poaching

Project Elephant has been formally implementing MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants) programme of CITES in 10 Elephant Reserves since January 2004. It is mandated by COP resolution of CITES. It was started in South Asia in 2003 with the following purpose:

• To measure levels and trends in illegal hunting of elephants.
• To determine changes in these trends overtime.
• To determine the factors causing or associated with these changes and to try and assess in particular to what extent observed trends are a result of any decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties to CITES.