Tourists should visit India for tiger watching: India's Env& Forest Minister

[Sabyasachi Patra]

On International Tiger Day, India’s Env. & Forest minister urges tourists to visit India for Tiger Watching
In an event to commemorate the International Tiger Day, India’s new Minister for MoEF&CC Shri Anil Madhav Dave urged tourists to visit India for watching tigers. He expressed hope that India will double the tiger numbers. Unfortunately, he never talked about the systematic decimation of forests in the tiger landscape in the name of development.

The Environment Minister said that the Tigers are spread out in over 17 States and 49 sanctuaries across the country. He stated that a healthy Tiger is a symbol of healthy environment. He said that people in India love the Tiger and are conserving it and that India has 2226 tigers which constitutes 70% of the population of the tiger world over. Unfortunately, the science or the lack of it, in estimating tiger numbers in India as well as in the world has been much talked about earlier. Nevertheless, people who want to tell us that all is well with the tiger ie the Government, NGOs who want to raise funds in the name of tiger, tour agents etc continue to talk about this number. Because of this the message that goes out is all is well with the tiger.
The minister also said that “due to the ongoing conservation efforts under Project Tiger, India has the maximum number of tigers, along with its source areas, amongst the 13 Tiger Range Countries in the world. The status of wild tiger across Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) continues to remain endangered. Though there have been some gains in the population build-up in some TRCs like India, Nepal, Bhutan and Russia, the global scenario is a major cause for concern. Tigers have become locally extinct in some TRCs and the status of prey, as well as the habitat, has declined in many. The heads of Governments of Tiger Range countries which inter alia includes India, have resolved to strive to double the number of wild tigers (T X 2) across their range by 2022 and adopted the St. Petersburg Resolution on Tiger Conservation, at St Petersburg, Russia, wherein July 29 was endorsed as Global Tiger Day”.


There have been enough noise in the social media about the tiger day, but the tiger is oblivious to all this and is leading a precarious existence. Nevertheless, it is welcome that the Ministry along with its conservation partners want us to take a pledge for Tiger conservation. Following is the pledge:

Pledge for Tiger conservation

I recognize and value,

That tiger is an umbrella species with charisma, and is the flagship indicator of a balanced ecosystem;

That a balanced ecosystem is crucial for life support, while providing numerous ecological services to the society;

Being aware that the status of wild tiger is highly endangered in its natural habitat across Tiger Range Countries with a declining global population;

I hereby solemnly pledge:

To protect the tiger and its wild habitat to ensure crucial ecological services for posterity;

To contribute for fostering awareness for tiger conservation by factoring in its concern in areas where tiger is not the goal;

To work for a balance between tiger conservation and ecologically sustainable development towards harmonious co-occurrence of human beings and the tiger;

Commit to conserve our natural heritage while making all efforts for the future sustenance of wild tiger.

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We hope that the MoEF&CC takes this pledge seriously and doesn’t act like a project clearing agency but focuses on its job of protecting India’s wilderness areas and wildlife.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Much to our astonishment and adding infinite delight to nature lovers, tiger is being seen in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand (Askot) at about 12,000 ft altitude as also near human habitation close to some other sanctuaries for protecting the cubs. If poachers could be isolated through public opinion and by action of the government, there is hope for survival of tiger in our country. The relationship between man and the tiger has undergone dramatic changes in some of our best reserves long after April, 1973 and we may not completely rule out the possibility of co-existence of tiger and human being in the distant future though it may always be less akin to lion-human being relationship in and around Sasan Gir.
In the near future our priority may be to take all measures to retain or re-establish tiger corridors.
Thanks for sharing. SaktiWild