Comprehension
Project Tiger turned 50 years recently. An often repeated headline was how the numbers have increased from 2,967 individuals in 2018 to 3,167 in 2022. This hides the bitter truth: Indians aren't going to compromise Western lifestyles for the survival of the Tiger. Most middle class Indians would loathe to give up their second, investment home or driving to the hills on a multilaned highway for the national animal.
You also can't change the needs of a tiger - it is a large, solitary animal. A female tiger needs about 15 square kilometres with a good prey base. If she reproduces, those cubs will require additional space. Data shows 30% of the tigers live outside protected areas, i.e in our midst. The more we fragment their habitat with urbanization, highways and industrial parks, the more they will be forced into unprotected areas.
Let's modify our approach. I advocate of three results by the 75th anniversary of project Tiger. First, instead of endlessly increasing tiger population, India can identify and achieve a metric, not much higher than the current numbers. Remember, 1000 tigers already roam around in farms and villages, more will be a disaster.
Second, let's better protect what we have. Keeping protected tiger habitat undisturbed is key. Investment in keeping unprotected ecosystems intact should be financially viable and part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and more. Third, reducing confrontation with humans is essential. Monitoring and communications technology are key to this. Compensation for live stock killed must be rapidly assessed and pegged to market rates. For the next quarter century, let's think quality.
Over the last few years, the population of the tiger has :
