Project Tiger

Classification of Tiger Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Pantherna Spicies: Tigris

Description of Tiger

 Length: 4.6-12.2 ft. Height: 3/3 1/2 ft. Weight: 220-675 pounds Colors and markings: Orange With a white belly and black stripes Shape: oval body that is lowto the ground

Historical Status                       

There were once nine subspecies of tigers: Bengal, Siberian, Indochinese, South Chinese, Sumatran, Malayan, Caspian, Javan and Bali. Of these, the last three are extinct, one is extinct in the wild, and the rest are endangered. In the early 1900s, there were around 100,000 tigers throughout their range.

•Tigers are endangered and there are a total of  around 3,000-4,500 exist in the wild.

•South Chinese tigers are extinct in the wild.

•The Javan, Bali, and Caspian tiger are extinct.

Present Status

Project Tiger was launched in 1973 in India. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of tiger in their natural habitats and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the people. The selection of areas for the reserves represented as close as possible the diversity of ecosystem  across the tiger's distribution in the country. 

Project Tiger

•Project Tiger is administered by the NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY. The overall administration of the project is monitored by a Steering Committee. 

•The project's task force visualized these  tiger reserves  as breeding nuclei, from which surplus animals would emigrate to adjacent forests.

•The government has set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers, and funded the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts

•Wireless communication system and outstation patrol camps have been developed within the tiger reserves, due to which poaching has declined considerably.

• Fire protection engineering is carried out by suitable preventive and control measures. Villages have been relocated in many reserves, especially from core areas.

•Livestock grazing has been controlled to a great extent in the tiger reserves. 

Project Tiger was meant 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 the ecosystem to the maximum possible extent.The potential tiger habitats being covered are::

•Sivalik–Terai Conservation Unit (Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal), and in NepalNorth east Conservation Unit•Sunderbans Conservation Unit•Central Indian Conservation Unit•Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit•Western Ghat Conservation Units

Goals and objectives

Goals and objectives

WPSI's Tiger Poaching Statistics

The WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI) works with government enforcement agencies to apprehend tiger poachers and traders throughout India. WPSI also makes every effort to investigate and verify any seizure of tiger parts and unnatural tiger deaths that are brought to our notice.

To date, WPSI has documented the following cases:

 95 cases of tigers known to have been killed in 1994   121 tigers killed in 1995   52 tigers killed in 1996  88 tigers killed in 1997   39 tigers killed in 1998  81 tigers killed in 1999  52 tigers killed in 2000  72 tigers killed in 2001  46 tigers killed in 2002  38 tigers killed in 2003  38 tigers killed in 2004  46 tigers killed in 2005  37 tigers killed in 2006  27 tigers killed in 2007  29 tigers killed in 2008  32 tigers killed in 2009  30 tigers killed in 2010  13 tigers killed in 2011

India holds over half the world's tiger population. According to the latest tiger census report released on March 28, 2011 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the current tiger population estimated is 1,706 (i.e. ranging between a minimum of 1,571 to a maximum of 1,875). The results include figures from 17 Indian states with a tiger population. 

Current Status of Tiger in India

PENALTIESA general offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, attracts a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment or a fine which may extend to Rs. 25,000 or both.

An offence involving a species listed in Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II, or an offence committed within a sanctuary or natural park, attracts a mandatory prison term of three years, which may extend to seven years. There is also a mandatory fine of at least Rs. 10,000. For a subsequent offence, the prison term remains the same, while the mandatory fine is at least Rs.25,000.

Bandhavgarh Bandipur Bhadra Bori-Satpura Buxa Corbett Dampa Dudhwa Indravati Kalakad-Mundanthurai Kanha Manas Melghat Nagarjunasagar 

Namdapha Pakhui-Nameri Palamau Panna Pench (Madhya Pradesh) Pench (Maharashtra) Periyar Ranthambore Sariska Similipal Sundarbans Tadoba-Andhari Valmiki

List of Tiger Reserves in India

Success Rate Of Project Tiger

It was merely months back when the Indian government pulled up their socks and did a census revealing a staggering low number of 1411 tigers left in open. All the media and eco-conservationists turned their heads towards India and started a campaign “Project Tiger” dedicating the year 2010 to the Tiger savior year.

A recent statement by Jayaram Ramesh, member of Indian cabinet, declared good signs with the tiger population about 1700+.

Thank

you