High-altitude Tigers

High-altitude Tigers

Subject: Environment

Context: To celebrate International Tiger Day last week, the Uttarakhand government highlighted the expanse of the Uttrakhand state’s tiger map from Corbett National Park to Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.

Concept:

High-altitude Tigers

• The habitat of tiger is varied, encompassing several biomes and ecological conditions, viz. mangrove swamps, highlands, plains, rainforests, arid or semi-arid areas and mountainous regions. However, most of the high-altitude habitats, within the tiger range have not been surveyed for an appraisal of tiger presence, prey and habitat status
• Between the terai and the mountains, state’s tiger map flaunted the tiger range from an elevation of 1,181 ft (360 m) to 12,073 ft (3680 m) is a testimony of Uttarakhand’s success in tiger conservation.
• The tiger’s usual range is under 6,000 ft (below 1,800 ft, think Kasauli). That makes its presence above 12,000 ft the elevation of the Kedarnath temple   But tigers have shown up before a strategically placed motion-triggered camera at higher altitudes..
• There can be no trade-off between traditional tiger habitat and these new heights of feline interest.

High-altitude Habitat

• The tiger has left its tracks in the winter snows of the Himalayas at an altitude of 10,000 ft. Few places are :
• Uttarakhand– Pithoragarh district
• Sikkim -Jelep Laa mountain pass
• Arunachal Pradesh -Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh at (1,765 m). Mishmi Hills (Dibang Valley)
• Rudraprayag’s Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary at (3,400m)
• Bhutan -Phrumsengla national park (2,965m) ,Jigme Dorji National Park at (4,200 m)
• Nepal- Dadeldhura ,Kangchenjunga Landscape region.

Causes for concern

• Records of high-altitude tigers getting somewhat routine have alarmed a section of conservationists. Warming induced by climate change, they argue, is making the higher mountains tolerable for tigers.
• But the fact that tigers are found roaming the snow indicates that their upward movement is not deterred by the cold.
• The fact that there are enough tigers in certain pockets to wander around is certainly good news. But that should not prompt hasty proposals, such as declaring a high-altitude area as tiger reserve, or even shifting a conservation area upward.

Jim Corbett National Park  

• Corbett National Park, also called Jim Corbett National Park is located in southern Uttarakhand state, northern India.
• It was established as Hailey National Park in 1936 and is India’s oldest national park.
• The park is located in the foothills of the Himalayas—about 35 miles (50 km) northwest of Ramnagar.
• It mainly occupies the broad Patlidoon Valley, through which the Ramganga River flows in a westerly direction.
• The forest cover includes species of sal (Shorea), teak, oak, silver fir, spruce, cypress, birch, and bamboo. A reed forest was planted to afford natural cover for the park’s animals.
• The park was established mainly for the protection of the Bengal tiger (Pantheratigristigris).
• It is here that India’s Project Tiger was established in 1973 to provide havens for tigers in the country’s national parks.

Kedarnath Wild Life Sanctuary,

• It is also called the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary
• It is a wildlife sanctuary declared under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and located in Uttarakhand, India.
• Its alternate name comes from its primary purpose of protecting the endangered Himalayan musk deer.
• Consisting of an area of 975 km² (376 sq mi), it is the largest protected area in the western Himalayas.
• It is famous for alpine musk deer, Himalayan Thar, Himalayan Griffon, Himalayan Black bear, Snow Leopard and other flora park and fauna. It is internationally important for the diversity of its flora and fauna (particularly of ungulate species).