It was like a whiff of fresh air to hear about increase in endangered tiger population in India. The latest Census figures put the number at 1,706 against 1411 in the previous census undertaken in 2006- a clean increase of 295. The increase looks more impressive when we take into consideration the fact that this growth has been registered after consistent fall in tiger population. The report suggests that the Tiger population in India is stabilizing and in fact thriving in some areas.

That increase may sound exaggerated  if we consider that certain areas covered in the latest census- like the Sunderbans – and parts of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and North -East were left out in the previous count. Sunderbans accounts for no less than 70 tigers, a huge number indeed, though some experts claim it to be much more, close to 150. Nonetheless, the growth figures give us a reason to cheer, that India is home to more than half of the world tiger population,  gives us additional reason to feel happy about.

The maximum increase of 36 percent has been recorded from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala belt with 382 tigers estimated this time.  Maharashtra, Assam and Uttrakhand too have recorded an impressive growth. But Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have shown a decline which has affected the image of Central India as the tiger capital of the country. In Madhya Pradesh the number has declined to 213 and in Andhra to just 65.  The number in Western Ghats has been estimated at 534 which works out 122 more than the previous count. So has the performance of Himalyan terai- Gangetic plains been impressive.

Major tiger reserves like Rathambore in Rajasthan, Corbett National Park in Uttrakhand, Kaziranga in Assam Periyar in Kerala and Melghat in Maharashtra have recorded a big jump in tiger population.

That this growth has taken place despite shrinking space for the tigers, adds a glitter to the performance. Just three years ago tigers in India had a habitat of 93, 600 sq. km which has now reduced to 72.800 sq. kms. The core tiger area has shrunk from one lakh sq. kms in the 1970’s when the project tiger was launched to just 31,207 sq. kms now.  And if the space continues to squeeze further it may be a different story in the days ahead.

The fact is that tiger habitats are under tremendous pressure from human and economic activities. That explains why there has been a sharp fall in tiger population over the years. Just 8 years ago in 2002 the number of tigers in India was estimated at 3700. In 1947, when the country gained independence, India had a tiger population of 49,000. If we go further backwards, this number was one lakh at the turn of the last century. Today, an increase by just 295 makes us to rejoice.

            Indeed, it is a matter of satisfaction that the efforts of the government have begun to bear fruit. It has led to higher levels of awareness. The pressure from the civil society too is proving effective. The number of tiger reserves which last year was 33 has now risen to 39.

            Apart from the dwindling habitat the threat is as much from the poachers and the international smuggling networks. Tiger skin and other parts fetch huge money in countries like China and is thus a thriving business for poachers and the smugglers.  Tiger organs are also used for medicinal purposes in China and some other Asian countries. Illegal mining is an equal cause of concern as it also leads to dwindling habitat.

            Development activities like irrigation, power and Highway projects also disturb the eco- system depriving tigers of a proper habitat. Indeed, a country of over a billion people cannot survive on only solar and wind energy. We do need commercial sources of energy but we also need to conserve the forests. Our wisdom lies in drawing a fair balance between the two. All these issues need to be sorted out, which obviously cannot be done overnight.

This time more scientific methods have been adopted in estimating the tiger population. Instead of counting the pugmarks, hidden cameras were used to detect the tigers. Even DNA tests were undertaken to arrive at correct estimations, making the figures more credible.

What is needed now is follow up action. Programmes like The Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), a worldwide plan to bring the species back from the brink of extinction, will go a long way to deal with the issue at the global level.

In India, the forests of North East have a capacity to hold many more tigers that it now has. This needs to be exploited. We may breathe easy for now and even celebrate the performance but we need to keep in mind that we have to go a long way to be genuinely proud of having a respectable tiger population in the country. The work has just begun. s