It was a crisp, clear morning in Corbett National Park, one of the richest and most vivid national parks in India, known for its tigers. After the torrential rain of the previous day, the weather had become very pleasant and the animals had come out to eat. Ride on the back of an elephant, crossing the perennial Ramganga River, which runs through the park; a feeling of wonder and excitement envelops.
Suddenly, all things in the area seemed petrified. The atmosphere charged: herds of spotted deer began to emit alarming calls. Tea mahout of the elephant warned in a low whisper. The king of the jungle was on the prowl. It! A large tiger was sighted, just a few meters away. The magnificent and majestic beast, whose angry growl is enough to make anyone notice, was right in front, gesturing to charge. He did, but missed and then sat for quite a while, growling and lashing his tail. We observed with admiration the wonder of nature…
These majestic animals are now desperately fighting for their survival. Their number is rapidly declining. Paradoxically, they are the most talked about but also the ones that are most in danger. Long ago, the tiger roared from eastern Turkey to the Russian Far East, to Siberia and Bali. Over time, the Balinese, Javanese and Caspian tigers became extinct. Their numbers are also rapidly declining in India and the days are not far off when they could disappear forever. The next generation might see them only in their textbook drawings and photographs. The main culprit, illegal killing, has pushed the number of tigers from 3,455 in 1997 to 1,411 today. A tiger census report recently released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority states that the number of tigers in India ranges from 1,165 to 1,657 (an average of 1,411). According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), in 2009 thirty-two tigers lost their lives to the greed and lust of poachers. Even though the tiger (Panthera tigris) it is an animal protected by law and killing this animal attracts fines and imprisonment under the provisions of The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1975 such reports indicate rampant killing.
The growing demand for tiger parts in the manufacture of so-called valuable medicines and their skins have contributed significantly to tiger poaching. Huge amounts of money each year are involved in the illegal trade in wildlife products. Although it is not possible to obtain the exact amount of money involved in the illicit trade in tiger parts, the number of confiscations, seizures and arrests of poachers are indicative of the magnitude. India remains the residence of these magnificent animals, ironically most of the demand for tiger parts comes from outside the country. Tigers are usually poached by local tribes, either by poisoning them, trapping them with iron, or electrocuting them. These tribals are lured by greedy middlemen.
India has witnessed a population explosion. In order to provide a better future for the citizens, various development projects were started. The need to establish heavy industry, hydroelectric power plants and housing colonies requires land. This has put enormous pressure on natural wealth, including forests, lakes, rivers and grasslands. More and more land is needed for farming and shelter to meet the needs of a growing human population. Agricultural land and villages in the vicinity of cities are being used for housing purposes, while more and more grasslands, forests and woodlands are being cleared for agricultural purposes. The reduction in forest cover has therefore forced wild animals out into the open; creating human-animal conflicts for obvious reasons. This has made poaching even easier, under the guise of saving human life, livestock and property.
Tea Terai beautiful photo Uttar Pradesh, formerly known for its rice production, has witnessed a major change in the growth pattern of its crops. The establishment of some sugar mills and the promotion of increased sugar cane production to meet the needs of these mills has contributed significantly to this change in crops. Large areas of forest have been cut down and surreptitiously invaded to plant cash crops such as sugarcane. The reduction of natural habitat has pushed wild herbivores, a tiger staple, into marginal areas and into these sugar cane fields. These in turn, take the tigers out of the jungle. Unable to differentiate between grasslands and sugarcane fields, they thus enter the sugarcane fields. Finding these cane fields safe, they stay there. these so-called “Cane Tigers” become a threat to the life, property and livestock of the villagers. These tigers, finding them easy prey, often kill domestic animals or sometimes even humans, causing panic. These animals are certainly a danger to the people who live in the immediate vicinity of these areas. The result is that many tigers were poisoned by villagers (read poachers). Many tiger deaths have been reported like this.
The decrease in the number of tigers also has genetic consequences and, in turn, is detrimental to them. Rapid population decline results in small, isolated populations that make them prone to natural disasters. Conflagrations, hurricanes and epidemics can cause them to abandon the spirit mass. Furthermore, they result in a smaller potential breeding population in a given tiger population and an even smaller number of potential breeding individuals. This results in excessive inbreeding which has its own ill effects. The lethal gene, if present and recessive, is not expressed; can become potentially dangerous. This ‘forced inbreeding’ can wreak havoc on the population. Alarmed and concerned about the rapidly declining tiger population in the country, the Government of India headed by the then Prime Minister, the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi, launched the Tiger Project in April 1973. The aim of the project was ” ensure the maintenance of a viable population of tigers in India for their scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values, and to preserve forever areas of biological life”. importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people”. Since its creation, 28 tiger reserves have been created in seventeen states. This helped substantially to evoke a response from the public.
Forests, wetlands, woodlands, grasslands and the animals that inhabit them are the backbone of the ecosystem. Beyond adding aura, color and drama; Being at the top of the food chain, tigers make an appreciable contribution to maintaining ecological harmony and balance. They are national heritage; However, those were the times when these magnificent wild beasts, especially the big cats, were mercilessly slaughtered in the name of hunting and hunting. Well-known naturalist and hunter Jim Corbett, who shot many man-eaters and for whom one of India’s famous wildlife parks (Corbett National Park) was named, later hung up his gun in favor of these creatures . Shooting tigers and other wildlife with a camera, not a gun, is much more rewarding. In fact, a trophy charms only a select few who own it, but a good photograph charms and educates many people. This not only saves these wonderful animals, but also the heritage and the ecological balance and, in turn, also the planet earth.