"TIGERS of INDIAN"

LAND OF THE TIGER: INDIA

TIGERS "Symbol of Royalty, Pride of India". Tigers are wild animals by nature. Yet they too have the right to live like any other living person or animal on this earth.

Protecting the tigers, is not an easy task and due to the environmental conditions, poachers etc this royal animal is now getting lesser fast. Hence, we must move ahead to save them for us and our next generations to come.

Firstly lets start with a basic information about tigers

Zoological name: Panthera tigris tigris

Range: The Royal Bengal Tiger is found in the wild across India in protected forests, and in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Royal Bengal Tiger

The Royal Bengal tiger, the national animal of India is an incredible sight. With its orange hide marked with dark stripes, its white underbelly, long tail, huge paws and fearsome teeth, the Royal Bengal Tiger of India is justifiably called the "King of the Jungle." It is the largest of the Big Cats. There are several subspecies of Tiger of which the Siberian Tiger is the largest.

Physical characteristics: Royal Bengal Tigers can have an incredible size ranging in length from under 6 feet to over 9 feet, while the length of its tail can be over 3 feet. Adult male tigers are larger than female tigers. The color of the Royal Bengal Tigers pelt can range from orange to tan with white beneath. The pattern of stripes on a tiger's skin is unique to each tiger. The patterns are used to identify and enumerate tigers based on tiger sightings in wildlife national parks in India. Tigers can shed their short thick fur in summer and it grows in thickness in winter. The Siberian tiger, the largest of the tigers, lives in a snow covered landscape, protected by its thick fur. Tigers have large, padded paws, with retractable claws. The paw print or pugmark of each tiger is also unique and is therefore used for identification and tracking by wildlife officials. Tigers have a large head, big ears and thick whiskers. The strong jaw of the tiger is used to bite the throat or neck of the tiger's prey. Tigers have incredible vision, their sight is enhanced by a reflecting layer behind the retina called the tapetum, whereby light is reflected back onto the retina, enabling tigers to see six times better than humans.

White Tiger
All white tigers in captivity in the world today are the descendants of one white tiger, caught by the Maharaja of Rewa in 1951. A White Tiger is the same as a Royal Bengal Tiger except for a genetic mutation that causes the change in the color of their fur and eyes. White tigers have blue eyes and brownish stripes.

Habitat: Tigers prefer thick grass, dense jungle and undergrowth in which they can hide and wait for their prey. The stripes on the hide of the tiger act as an incredible camouflage and help the tiger conceal itself in tall grass and vegetation. In the dry jungles of wildlife parks in Ranthambore and Sariska in Rajasthan India, tigers are often seen in the ruins of monuments and temples in the park. Tigers unlike other cats, like water and in the hot summer are often seen sitting or lying in pools of water to stay cool and are good swimmers.

Diet: Royal Bengal Tigers are carnivores and hunt for prey. Their prey includes deer, wild buffalo, elephants, wild pigs and cattle in areas of human encroachment. Aged, sick or injured tigers that are unable to hunt swift-footed prey have been known to turn man-eater.

Behavior: Royal Bengal Tigers are usually solitary. Tiger couples have sometimes been seen, however a family group commonly consists of a mother and her cubs that live with her for around 2 years. Male tigers are known to fight over territory. A male tigers territory usually overlaps the territory of more than one tigress. Tigers mark their territory by urinating and spraying scent from a specialized gland. A tigress retires to a den to bear her litter, which usually consists of 2-4 cubs. In the wild, tigers live from 8- 15 years. In zoos, tigers have been recorded as living up to 26 years (if treated well).

Estimated population: It is estimated that there were around 3,250 - 4,700 Royal Bengal Tigers in the wild with over 330 in captivity, including zoos and animal parks, a few years back. NOW THE COUNT HAS REDUCED TO 1411 only.

What is an Endangered Specie?

Endangered means danger of the species becoming extinct or dying out.
Tigers are facing major population losses & extinction. Tigers are killed for sport, skins & body parts. The 1950s saw extinction of the Caspian tiger. The last Bali tiger was killed in 1937; the last Javan tiger was seen in 1972. The Bali and Java tiger are now extinct. The South China tiger (around 20-30 remaining), is nearly extinct in the wild.

Reasons for the endangered Status

The Bengal tiger is endangered because it is poached for its body parts to cater to an illegal market. Another reason is habitat loss due to depletion of forest cover interference of humans and encroachment of forest land by people causing fragmentation. At the turn of the century, there were almost reportedly 40,000 tigers in India, but now only around 4,000 remain in the wild.

Why Save Tigers?

Tiger is symbol of wilderness and well-being of the ecosystem. Most importantly tigers are the pride of INDIA. By conserving and saving tigers the entire wilderness ecosystem is conserved. In nature, barring human beings and their domesticates, the rest of the ecosystem is wild. Hence conserving wilderness is important and crucial to maintain the life support system. So saving tiger amounts to saving the ecosystem which is crucial for man's own survival.

The major wildlife conservation organizations are:

Tiger in Indian Mythology

The young Prince Mahasattva was walking over the hills with his brothers when they saw, a tigress with two cubs. The Tigress was little more than a skeleton, and so mad with hunger that she was about to eat her young. Seeing this Prince Mahasattva left his brothers, and desirous of saving the animals lives, threw himself in front of the tigress and lay still, waiting for the Tigress to eat him. But she was too weak and exhausted even to bite. So he pricked himself with a sharp thorn to draw blood. By licking the blood the Tigress gained enough strength to devour the Prince, leaving only his bones. Prince Mahasattva was then revealed to be the Buddha as a bodhisattva- one of the numerous preparatory stages of existence through which he passed before emerging as the Enlightened One. It is significant that the story is treated as a fact rather than as a legend in the Buddhist texts. The spot where it is said to have happened is revered and commemorated by a stupa or shrine.

As elsewhere it is the mixture of awe for the power of the Tiger and the symbolic magic with which it is invested that determines the relationship between man and Tiger in many parts of India. In one part of northern Bengal the Tiger God was worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims.

WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature

WWF was officially founded on 11 September 1961 amid fears that habitat destruction and hunting would soon bring about the extinction of much of wildlife worldwide. Among the distinguished group of founders were Sir Julian Huxley, the renowned biologist, and Sir Peter Scott, the naturalist and painter, who designed the original panda logo. WWF is...

- The world's largest and most experienced independent conservation organization;
- A truly global network, working in more than 90 countries;
- A challenging, constructive, science-based organization that addresses issues from the survival of species and
  habitats to climate change, sustainable business and environmental education;
- A charity dependent upon its five million supporters worldwide - some 90 per cent of our income derives from
  voluntary sources such as people and the business community.
- An organization that makes a difference.

The organization’s international headquarters were established in Switzerland, and WWF offices were set up in many countries, starting with the UK. By the end of the 1970s, the focus of WWF's work had broadened to encompass not only the conservation of wildlife and habitats, but also the wider implications of man's activities on the environment. In 1980 WWF's World Conservation Strategy warned that humanity had no future unless nature and the world's natural resources were conserved. It also introduced the concept of sustainable development - living within the limits of the natural environment without compromising the needs of future generations - which has been central to WWF's thinking ever since.

Taking action for a living planet: WWF has grown from modest beginnings into a truly global conservation organization that has been instrumental in making the environment a matter of world concern. In addition to funding and managing countless conservation projects throughout the world, WWF continues to lobby governments and policy-makers, conduct research, influence education systems, and work with business and industry to address global threats to the planet by seeking long-term solutions.

Wildlife Institute of India

Indian Tiger Welfare Society, moved by the plight of the members of "Cat Family" like tigers due to shrinking habitat and large scale poaching, Indian Tiger Welfare was founded to spread awareness and work towards building safe haven for tigers that include Royal Bengal tiger, and Indian white tiger. The organisation shares the global conerns of protecting these endangered species and has joined hands with many such organisations who share the same conerns.The organisation shares the global conerns of protecting these endangered species and has joined hands with many such organisations who share the same conerns.

In the last half century, India's once rich biodiversity has become considerably depleted. Rapid human and livestock population increase and a rather lopsided distributive development pattern have marginalized or unjustly exploited the country's bountiful wilderness areas such that the species richness and the range of habitat types that the country used to be proud of are today highly eroded and fragmented. How can this fall be checked and reversed is now a question being pondered over at most forums.

Amidst such a situation, the need was felt for an organization to help and strengthen endeavors for recovery. It was important to have an agency which, while looking at forests holistically, combined their management with conserving their biodiversity and protecting the interests of the people in their vicinity in a manner that would be practical and scientifically oriented. Such a thought process led to the setting up of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) at Dehra Dun in 1982 with a mandate to train government and non-government personnel, carry out research, and advise on matters of conservation and management of wildlife resources.

For WII, it was a challenging task, particularly when education in forest management had nothing on wildlife, and wildlife science itself had not yet been established as a subject of any significance in the university education curriculum. With no precedence to go by, WII had to virtually single handedly not only give forest education a wildlife slant but also create and develop the very resources with which it could go about fulfilling its tasks.

The aims and objectives of WII are:
- to build up a body of scientific knowledge on the wildlife resources of the country.
- to train personnel at various levels for the conservation and management of wildlife resources as well as provide orientation to all those concerned therewith.
- to carry out research relevant to management, including the development of techniques appropriate to Indian conditions.
- to provide information and advice on specific wildlife management problems.
- to provide a basis for cooperation with international organizations concerned with wildlife management, research and training.
- to work towards an autonomous institution of university status, which provides graduates in natural resource conservation and management for both government and non-government institutions, including university faculty and wildlife and conservation organizations.

It should ultimately become a regional centre of international importance in studies on Asian wildlife and natural resource management.

Some of the important activities of WII are:
- Masters Programme in Wildlife Biology (M.Sc.)
- Training Course in Management Planning for Protected Areas.
- Training Course in Ecodevelopment Planning for Protected Areas.
- Training Course in Zoo Management and Captive Breeding.
- Training Course in Conservation Education and Interpretation.
- Short term courses for in-service Forest Officers, IAS and the Army.
- Integrated forest management (research, training and advisory aspects).
- Enlargement in the scope and quantum of wildlife research.
- International scientific collaborative programmes.
- EIA ‘studies for developmental and industrial projects’.
- Planning of a biogeographically representative national network of protected areas for biodiversity conservation and its updating with fresh flows of information.
- Establishment of a computerized National Wildlife Database.
- Application of advanced computer based Digital Image Processing (DIP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies in wildlife research and management.
- Wildlife health programmes (research, training and advisory aspects).

Wildlife Protection Society of India

The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) was founded in 1994 by Belinda Wright, its Executive Director, who was an award-winning wildlife photographer and filmmaker till she took up the cause of conservation. From its inception, WPSI's main aim has been to bring a new focus to the daunting task of tackling India's growing wildlife crisis. It does this by providing support and information for authorities who are combating poaching and the escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers. It has now broadened its focus to deal with human-animal conflicts and provide support for research projects.

With a team of committed environmentalists, WPSI is one of the most respected and effective wildlife conservation organizations in India. It is a registered non-profit organization, funded by financial donations from a wide range of Indian and international sources. The Society’s Board Members include leading conservationists and businessmen.

Investigation and Enforcement WPSI founding members have already demonstrated that undercover investigation is the most effective way to identify and expose the large-scale commercialization of wildlife. As a direct result of the information gathered and assistance given in 1993 and 1994, law enforcement authorities seized the bones and body parts of 109 tigers, the skins of 1650 other endangered mammals and 30,000 skins of assorted reptiles. In total 52 poachers and traders were arrested.

WPSI has established a network of strategically placed wildlife informers throughout India. Acting quickly, WPSI's trained investigators analyze all information received and link closely with Government law enforcement and forestry departments to bring about seizures of illegal wildlife products and the arrests of poachers and traders.

Trade routes and modus operandi of traders and poachers are also continually studied and information passed on to Government authorities. However WPSI's reach extends far beyond the tiger and the Society supports conservation projects in the states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal, and West Bengal, on species as varied as the sea turtle and the slender Loris. The Society is now broadening its focus to deal with other critical issues such as human-animal conflict involving tigers, leopards and elephants. In addition WPSI supports a number of research projects on such far-flung issues as tiger census techniques, the ecological impact of forest resource extraction, and the snow leopard. WPSI is actively involved in all major wildlife protection issues and is one of the most effective conservation organizations in India today. WPSI projects are generously supported by a number of originations, foundations and individuals.

Project Tiger Reserves in India
Bandhavgarh National Park

the white Tigers of Rewa where firstly believed to be discovered Bandhavgarh. This park is some of the left out preserved wild pockets of Madhya Pradesh of what were once splendid forests that extended across the whole of Central India.

Corbett National Park, U.P.Corbett is India's first and finest national park spread along the banks of the Ramganga River, in the foothills of the Himalayas. A well-protected wild habitat, Corbett provides an unforgettable experience to a nature lover.

Kanha National Park
In the state of Madhya Pardesh, the wilds of Kanha are see, this place is called a wild hideout taken straight from the famous "Jungle Book".

Ranthambore National Park
A nearby attraction of Sawai Madhopur, in the state of Rajasthan, Ranthambore National Park is an outstanding example of Project Tiger's efforts at tiger conservation in the India.

Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary
Probably the most visited park in India, Sariska was also a hunting reserve previously just like other national parks in India. The reserve was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 and came under the "Project Tiger" as a tiger reserve in 1979.

Sundarbans National Park
In Sundarbans, adventure awaits you at every corner. Known as the largest estuarine delta in the world, this Tiger land vibrates with countless forms of colorful life.

Bandipur & Nagarhole National Parks, KarnatakaTwo of the most attractive national parks of Karnataka are Nagarhole and Bandipur. Even if separate entities, they are a part of a large neighboring wildlife reserve that also includes Madumalai Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu and Wynad Reserve of Kerala.

Dudhwa National Park, U.P.Also popular as a Tiger Reserve, this national park is located in the district of Lakhimpur, along the Indo-Nepal border. Another major attraction of this wild reserve is the Barasingha or the Swamp Deer, found in the southwest and southeast region of the park.

Nandankanan Zoo, OrissaA combination of a beautiful botanical garden, a zoo and a sanctuary, Nandankanan, is situated 20-km from Bhubaneshwar, and is popularly known as the "Garden of Pleasure" in Orissa. The zoo at Nandankanan is world famous for its White Tigers.

Tiger Reserves in India

Meet the tiger, the official national animal of India.

You need not be a wildlife enthusiast to appreciate this wild beauty. The spectacular black and yellow coated tiger usually found swaying grass or peeping over a rock is enough to titillate ones heart with colorful cameos. So exciting, that people abandon all luxuries and comforts to roam in the jungles ignoring scorching heat and biting cold.

There isn’t any other better place on the planet to encounter this fascinating beauty in its natural habitat than India. The Indian sub-continent has around 80 National Parks and 441 Sanctuaries of which some have been conserved as Tiger reserves under the Project Tiger Scheme.

In fact a trip to the Indian wild zone is like a rendezvous to the who's who of the Kingdom Animalia. The tourist's indeed can act as the parks' best ambassador and introduce them to the rest of the world. The exposure at times may harm the ecological balance of the area but the constant flow of tourist help put an end to the poaching and plundering of this endangered species. Many of these tiger reserves are established in the former hunting grounds of the former Indian and British aristocracy. Some parks do offer modern styled guesthouses with electricity while others only have bungalows with basic amenities. Jeep or Van ride is available everywhere and in some, elephant or boat rides are organized to scan these areas more discreetly.

All these reserves are protected under 'Project Tiger' and bookings are generally done at state forest departments or through private operators. Sometimes the state even promotes a particular area as a part of its tourist attraction.

Project Tiger Wildlife Sanctuaries:

Tourists can see the incredible Royal Bengal Tiger in the following Wildlife National Parks on India wildlife tours: Bandipur-Nagarhole (Karnataka), Corbett (Uttaranchal), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh), Manas (Assam), Melghat(Maharashtra), Palamau (Jharkhand), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan), Similipal (Orissa), Sunderbans (West Bengal), Periyar (Kerala), Sariska (Rajasthan), Buxa (West Bengal),Indravati (Chattisgarh), Nagarjunsagar (Andhra Pradesh), Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh), Dudhwa-Katerniaghat (Uttar Pradesh), Kalakad-Mundanthurai (Tamil Nadu), Valmiki (Bihar), Pench (Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra), Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra), Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Dampha (Mizoram), Bhadra (Karnataka), Pakhui-Nameri (Arunachal Pradesh-Assam), Bori, Satpura, Pachmari (Madhya Pradesh).

Major Regions :	Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Kerala
Famous Tiger Reserves :	Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Corbett National Park, Sundarbans National Park.
Other Wildlife Attractions :	Leopards, Antelopes, Deers, Sambar, Gaurs.

Status: Royal Bengal Tiger is an endangered species. Their numbers were recorded as below 2000 in the 1970's, after which The Project Tiger was launched in India in 1972 (which took almost a year to get attention) as conservation programme for saving the Indian Tiger Population. Project Tiger was introduced in wildlife national parks and sanctuaries of India. There had been a steady increase in the population of tigers in India where they are protected in 27 tiger reserves, wildlife national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The threat of poaching due to the demand for tiger bones and body parts in traditional Chinese medicine remains a pressing issue. The loss of habitat as well as human population pressure on wildlife reserves in India is another concern.

Tiger sightings have become quite rare these days in India, reason being the Tiger killings because of its multitude of medicinal or magical properties; that is why tiger trade is very profitable. Genuinely the tiger skin is not fashionable but the smuggling of Tiger fur coats and rugs are not difficult for the impoverished hunters. Even after the bans made by the government warning not to gather even wood from the former hunting grounds, poaching of tigers continue.

Still efforts are continuously made to preserve these magnificent predators from extinction. Some of the best examples of this programmes success can be seen in the national parks situated in the high Himalayan region, to the mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans and the thorny scrubs of Rajasthan. But more wildlife conservation laws and awareness among people is still required to make Indian sanctuaries a safe haven for tigers.

Save Tigers

The tiger, one of the most magnificent animals in the world, is also one of the most endangered. A cat of beauty, strength, and majesty, the tiger is master of all and subject to none -- except humans. Of the eight original subspecies of tigers, three have become extinct within the last 60 years; and there are less than 50 South China tigers left on this planet -- few, and possibly none, survive in the wild.

There are five different kinds or subspecies of tiger alive in the world today. These tigers are called Siberian, South China, Indochinese, Bengal, and Sumatran. Their Latin name is Panthera tigris. Tigers are an endangered species; only about 5,000 to 7,400 tigers are left in the wild. Three tiger subspecies, the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers have become extinct in the past 70 years.

Poachers are continuing to exterminate the world's remaining Tigers. New demand across Southeast Asia for the skins, teeth and claws of tigers is endangering much of the great cats, particularly the Sumatran tiger. Currently, the demand for Tiger parts is centered in several parts of Asia where there is a strong market for traditional medicines made from items like tiger bone and body parts. Volumes are sizeable and there has been little enforcement action against poachers and traders.

What Needs to be Done to Save the Tiger: - Local institutions and people; Scientists who were closely involved in managing tigers at the local level, Hemendra Panwar of India and Hemanta Mishra of Nepal, pointed out an important lesson more than a decade ago: unless local community needs are met, conservation of the tiger will not succeed and protected areas will perish. Therefore, conservation programs must reconcile the interests of people and tigers. In most situations, a sustainable tiger conservation strategy cannot be achieved without the full participation and collective action of individual rural households whose livelihoods depend on rights of access and use of the forests where tigers live.
- Technologies for conservation of resources there already exist. A wide range of technology and practice in forest and watershed management are needed, for conservation of resources. The biological processes that regenerate forests and make agriculture less damaging to tiger habitats take time to become established.
- Use of external institutions, such as NGOs, government departments, and banks, can facilitate processes by which local people develop their sense of ownership and commitment. When little effort is made to build local skills, interest, and capacity, people have no interest or stake in maintaining structures or practices once the incentives for conservation stop. Success hinges on people’s participation in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, which leads to the formation of new institutions or the strengthening of existing ones
- Conservation of tiger habitat and prey in many areas peripheral to tiger habitat, grazing lands for livestock have been converted to crops or degraded by excessive use; livestock is of poor quality and of poor productivity; wood for fuel and building has been exhausted; and sources of income are limited. The rehabilitation of the natural resource base of local people is essential if they are not to seek their requirements in protected areas. This requires eco-development with the support and cooperation of specialized government organs and the non-governmental conservation community.

Wildlife Organizations (Wildlife Conservation)

The never ending struggle to conserve endangered wildlife will be won or lost in infinite remote and challenging sites around the globe. Each place is unique, with its own particular conflicts between people and wildlife.

Wildlife Conservation Organizations target to focus on funding, supporting and developing the next generation of "conservation entrepreneurs" - independent, innovative conservationists who are creating and implementing new strategies for saving endangered wildlife and habitats. Like their counterparts in business, successful conservation entrepreneurs dare to bring new thinking to old problems. Besides, these organizations by the virtue of regional anchorage leave an extant impact on the strife to conserve wildlife.

The wildlife conservation organizations primarily focus on: - Collaborate with local people on innovative solutions that improve their lives while protecting wildlife.
- Help communities implement local conservation solutions.
- Undertake work others consider too difficult or too risky.
- Maximize the value of every dollar invested in conservation.
Even one person with passion and a vision can make a profound difference.

Past | Present | Future

Project Tiger, is one of our most successful conservation ventures in the recent times. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves', which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within our country. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in the natural environment.

Past
An estimate of the tiger population in India, at the turn of the century, placed the figure at 40,000. Subsequently, the first ever all India tiger census was conducted in 1972 which revealed the existence of only 1827 tigers. Various pressures in the later part of the last century led to the progressive decline of wilderness, resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the IUCN General Assembly meeting in Delhi, in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to several species of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the country. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. A 'Task Force' was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach. This project was launched in 1973, and various tiger reserves were created in the country on a 'core-buffer' strategy. The core areas were freed from all sorts of human activities and the buffer areas were subjected to 'conservation oriented land use'.

Management plans were drawn up for each tiger reserve, based on the principles outlined below:
1. Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic disturbance from the core area and rationalization of activities in the buffer zone.
2. Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages done to the eco-system by human and other interferences, so as to facilitate recovery of the eco-system to its natural state.
3. Monitoring the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying out research about wildlife.

Initially, 9 tiger reserves were established in different States during the period 1973-74, by pooling the resources available with the Central and State Governments. These nine reserves covered an area of about 13,017sq.km-viz Manas (Assam), Palamau (Bihar), Similipal (Orissa), Corbett (U.P.), Kanha (M.P.), Melghat (Maharashtra), Bandipur (Karnataka), Ranthambhore (Rajasthan) and Sunderbans (West Bengal).

The project started as a 'Central Sector Scheme' with the full assistance of Central Government till 1979-80: later, it become a 'centrally Sponsored Scheme' from 1980-81, with equal sharing of expenditure between the center and the states. The W.W.F. has given an assistance of US $ 1 million in the form of equipments, expertise and literature. The various States are also bearing the loss on account of giving up the forestry operations in the reserves.

The main achievements of this project were excellent recovery of the habitat and consequent increase in the tiger population in the reserve areas, from a mere 268 in 9 reserves in 1972 to 1576 in 27 reserves in 2003. Tiger, being at the apex of the food chain, can be considered as the indicator of the stability of the eco-system. For a viable tiger population, a habitat should possess a good prey base, which in turn will depend on undisturbed forest vegetation. Thus, 'Project Tiger', is basically the conservation of the entire eco-system and apart from tigers, all other wild animals also have increased in number in the project areas. In the subsequent 'Five Year Plans', the main thrust was to enlarge the core and buffer zones in certain reserves, intensification of protection and eco-development in the buffer zones of existing tiger reserves, creation of additional tiger reserves and strengthening of the research activities.

The management strategy was to identify the limiting factors and to mitigate them by suitable management. The damages done to the habitat were to be rectified, so as to facilitate the recovery of eco-system to the maximum possible extent. Management practices which tend to push the wildlife populations beyond the carrying capacity of the habitat were carefully avoided. A minimum core of 300 sq. km. with a sizeable buffer was recommended for each project area. The overall administration of the project is monitored by a 'Steering Committee'. The execution of the project is done by the respective State Governments. A 'Field Director' is appointed for each reserve, who is assisted by the field and technical personnel. The Chief Wildlife warden in various States are responsible for the field execution. At the Centre, a full-fledged 'Director' of the project coordinates the work for the country.

Present
Wireless communication system and outstation patrol camps have been developed within the tiger reserves, due to which poaching has declined considerably. Fire protection is effectively done by suitable preventive and control measure. As per records; Voluntary Village relocation has been done in many reserves, especially from the core, area. In Kanha, Bandipur and Ranthambhore, all the villages have been shifted from the core, and after relocation, the villagers have been provided with alternate agricultural lands and other community benefits. This has resulted in the improvement of the carrying capacity of the habitat. Live stock grazing has been controlled to a great extent in the tiger reserves. Various compensatory developmental works have improved the water regime and the ground and field level vegetations, thereby increasing the animal density. In general, the 'restorative management' and 'intense protection' under 'Project Tiger' have saved many of our eco-typical areas from destruction. The area around the buffer is contemplated as a zone of multiple use, to bring compatibility between the reserves and the neighboring communities.

Future

1) Use of Information and Communication technology in Wildlife Protection and Crime Risk Management in Tiger reserves.
Wildlife protection and crime risk management in the present scenario requires a widely distributed Information Network, using the state-of-art Information and Communication Technology. This becomes all the more important to ensure the desired level of protection in field formations to safeguard the impressive gains of a focused project like 'Project Tiger'.

The important elements in Wildlife protection and control are:

- Mapping/plotting the relative spatial abundance of wild animals,

Identification of risk factors,

- Proximity to risk factors,

- Sensitivity categorization,

- Crime mapping and immediate action for apprehending the offenders based on effective networking and communication.

Space technology has shown the interconnectivity of natural and anthropogenic phenomena occurring anywhere on earth. Several Tiger Reserves are being linked with the Project Tiger Directorate in the GIS domain for Wildlife Crime Risk Management.

2) GIS based digitized database and MIS development/networking in Tiger Reserves:
With the advanced IT tools, a wide gamut of software solutions are available to improve wildlife related information capture process, its analysis and informed decision making. Geographic Information System is the most relevant of these technologies for natural resource management projects, including wildlife management. The mandate of project tiger is to conserve tigers in a holistic manner. The GIS based database at PTHQ is being linked with the microcomputers in the Tiger Reserves, so that a dynamic linkage for rapid information flow is established using Arc IMS facility.

3) Tiger Habitat & Population Evaluation System for the Indian Sub Continent
A 'Tiger Atlas of India' and a 'Tiger Habitat & Population Evaluation System for the country is being developed using the state- of - the - art technology.

This involves:
1. Mapping , data acquisition and GIS modeling
2. Field data collection and validation
3. Data Maintenance , Dissemination and Use

The following potential tiger habitats in the country are being covered:
- Shivalik-Terai Conservation Unit(Uttaranchal, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Nepal)
- Nort east Conservation Unit
- Sunderbans Conservation Unit
- Central Indian Conservation Unit
- Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit
- Western Ghat Conservation Unit

Satellite data is being used and classified into vegetation and land use maps on a 1:50,000 scale, with digitized data relating to contour , villages, roads , drainage , administrative boundaries and soil . The spatial layers would be attached with attribute data , viz. human population , livestock population , meteorological data, agricultural information and field data pertaining to wildlife, habitat for evolving regional protocols to monitor tiger and its habitat.