Saturday, March 1, 2008

Monday, February 18, 2008

TIGER NUMBERS SINK TO RECORD LOW IN INDIA - NARESH KADYAN

DO YOU KNOW .. ?

Tiger fact file

  • There are five different kinds or subspecies of tiger which are still alive today. They are called Siberian, Indochinese, South China, Bengal, and Sumatran.

  • Tigers are an endangered species, only about 4,870 to 7,300 tigers are left in the wild. Three tiger subspecies are now extinct: the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers.

  • All-wild tigers avoid people. Only 3 or 4 out of every 1000 tigers eat people and most of these are sick or wounded animals who can no longer hunt large prey.

  • Wild tigers are found mostly in India. Until the 1800�s many lived throughout most of the southern half of the continent.

  • In India, the tiger is found almost throughout the country, from Himalayas to Cape Comorin, except in Punjab, Kutch and the deserts of Rajasthan. In the northeast, its range extends into Burma.

  • Usually tigers mate and produce cubs throughout the year in India, but peak breeding activity is in winter and early summer. This lasts about 20 to 30 days, males and females communicate with each other 8 different loud and distinct calls that have been documented.

  • Project Tiger was launched in India in 1973, with the goal of saving the tiger and its habitat in India.

  • Initial list of Tiger Reserves were 9, this Project went on to cover 28 Tiger Reserves across the country.

  • India had 1827 tigers when Project Tiger was set 35 years ago.

  • The number as per the census figures in 2008 is 1411.

  • 2008 Tiger Census records 45 tigers in Orissa. Simlipal Reserve in the state has only 25 of the big cats.

  • Project has not been able to keep pace with the rapid changes in tiger landscape and increased human pressures. In 2006, it was replaced by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

  • Despite Project Tiger over 50 per cent of the tiger population has dwindled in less than 7 years.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021357240100.htm
Over half of tigers lost in 5 years: census
Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: India has lost more than 50 per cent of its tiger population in the past five years with the numbers dwindling to 1,411 from 3,642 in 2001-02, according to the latest tiger census report.

The “State of tiger, co-predators and prey in India” report, released here on Tuesday, said there had been an overall decrease in the tiger population except in Tamil Nadu where the numbers have gone up substantially from 60 in 2001-02 to 76.

The counting could not be carried out in the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh and Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand due to inaccessibility because of naxalite problem while estimation is on in the massive Sunderbans area in West Bengal.

However, based on available data in Palamau Tiger Reserve, the report indicates a low density of tiger in the area ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 per 100 sq.km.

GIS technology

Adopting a 17.43 per cent coefficient of variation in the figures estimated with the latest GIS technology instead of the pugmark methodology, the report, however, says that the status of its co-predators, prey and habitat has not adversely changed in the reserves and protected area; the decline has been in the outside areas.

The assessment has shown that the tiger has suffered due to direct poaching, loss of quality habitat and its prey.

The State-wise analysis has shown that Andhra Pradesh has 95 tigers (as against 192 in 2001-02), Chhattisgarh 26 (227), Madhya Pradesh 300 (710), Maharashtra 103 (238), Orissa 45 (173), Rajasthan 32 (58). Sariska has no tigers left.

In the Western Ghats, Karnataka has 290 (401), Kerala 46 (71) and Tamil Nadu 76 (60).

In the North East Hills and Brahmaputra Plains, Assam has only 70 tigers against 354 in the previous census.

Arunachal Pradesh has 14 tigers against 61, Mizoram only 6 (28) and North West Bengal 10 against 349 earlier, though figures from the Sunderbans regions are yet to be compiled.

The north-eastern region is a heavy rainfall area and does not support high tiger populations.