Project Tiger in India

Project Tiger: The Government of India launched on 1 April 1973, Project Tiger under the Indira Gandhi government from the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. In the Initial years, there were only 9 tiger reserves and now it is 47 such reserves located in 18 tiger range states in India. The main motive was saving the tigers which were declining steadily. This project is part of the larger topic of Forest and Wildlife Resources, which aims to conserve and preserve the biodiversity and ecosystem of India.

Project Tiger

Project Tiger is an ambitious project launched by the Indian Government with the aim of saving the tiger population in India. The main objectives of the project are to conserve tigers, and their habitats, and to increase the tiger population. Project Tiger operates through various measures such as protecting tiger habitats, anti-poaching measures, and ecological restoration. The project also focuses on community involvement and education to create awareness about the importance of tiger conservation.

Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with the aim of saving the Indian tigers from extinction. The project aims to create a network of tiger reserves in India, which are protected areas where tigers can roam freely and breed. These reserves are designed to provide a natural habitat for tigers and also provide a source of income for the local communities through eco-tourism.

Background

Project Tiger was launched by the Indira Gandhi Government in 1973 from Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. The Government passed Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 for the protection and conservation of species of flora and fauna. In 1973, Project Tiger was launched for increasing the population of tigers in the country. Initially, there were only 9 tiger reserves in India and now there are 47 reserves located in 18 tiger range states in India.

Aim of Project Tiger

The main objectives behind Project Tiger are to reduce the factors which cause the diminishing of tigers and also to manage them and ensure a viable tiger population in the case of economic, scientific, ecological, and cultural values.

Conservation Units: Project Tiger

The body administrating is National Tiger Conservation Authority and there are 8 Conservation units:

1. Sundarbans Conservation Unit
2. Northeast Conservation Unit
3. Western Ghats Conservation Unit
4. Shivalik-Terai Conservation Unit
5. Eastern Ghats Conservation Unit
6. Sariska Conservation Unit
7. Central India Conservation Unit
8. Kaziranga Conservation Unit

Significant changes have been brought for the tiger population through Project Tiger. About 30 percent growth in the Tiger population could be seen from 2010-2014 in India.

Tiger Reserves in India

There are total of 53 Tiger Reserves according to NTCA.

1. Largest- Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh.
2. Smallest- Orang Tiger Reserve in Assam on base of core area.

10 Earliest Established Tiger Reserves in India

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the MoEFCC and was founded in 2003, after following the recommendations of Tiger Task Force. The NTCA is constituted under section 38 L (1) OF Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

What is the need for Conserving Tigers?

The need for conserving tigers are as follows:

1. Threats to tigers: Some of the main threats to tigers include habitat loss, poaching, spawning migration, spawning tourism, and spawning-related human-tiger conflicts.
2. Eco-tourism: Eco-tourism is an important part of Project Tiger as it provides a source of income for the local communities and helps to create awareness about the importance of tiger conservation.
3. Anti-poaching measures: Project Tiger also includes anti-poaching measures to prevent the illegal killing of tigers for their body parts, which are used in traditional medicine and as luxury items.
4. Research and Monitoring: Project Tiger includes ongoing research and monitoring activities to better understand the behavior and population dynamics of tigers, and to inform conservation efforts.
5. Community Involvement: Project Tiger recognizes the importance of involving local communities in conservation efforts and works with them to promote sustainable livelihoods and mitigate human-tiger conflicts.

Tiger Census in India

The National tiger census is done in every 4 years by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in alliance with state forest departments, conservation of NGOs and also Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and use double sampling method based on ground based surveys and images from camera tops.

Tiger Census 2022

The Tiger Census of 2022, reveals 6.7 percent increase in the past four years and the tiger census covered forested habitats in 20 states of India and International Big Cat All Alliance (IBC) in Mysuru, which organised the 50 years of Project Tiger. The highlights of the census is, the population of tiger has grown from 200 from 2018 to 2022, the population is up to 3,167 in 2022 from 2,967 in 2018.