Tiger Conservation

Tiger Conservation

Subject: Environment

Context: India is home to the largest population of tigers in the world and increase in the tiger population is a testament to the success of wildlife conservation programmes implemented for nearly 50 years.

Content:

• Tigers were reportedly increasing at a rate of about 6% per annumand the area that they occupied was roughly stable, at about 89,000 square km since 2014.
• The latest 2018 estimates put the tiger population at 2,967 with more than half of them in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. (Tiger Census conducted once in 4 years)
• The consistent implementation of Project Tigersince 1973, whereby dedicated tiger reserves were established in India, as well as anti­poaching measures have played a significant role in tiger conservation.
• India has 53 tiger reserveswith the latest being Guru Ghasidas National Park added early this year.

Project Tiger:

• Project Tiger is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory bodyof the Ministry, with an overarching supervisory/coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The NTCA was launched in 2005, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It was given statutory status by the 2006 amendment of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Sariska is the first tiger reserve to have successfully relocated Royal Bengal tigers in India.