Tragic Encounter of Avni

Tragic Encounter of Avni

Why are tigers important

  • Tigers are an “umbrella species” – meaning their conservation also conserves many other species in the same area.
  • They have great cultural and historical significance.
  • They are also crucial for the ecosystems in which they live. As top predators of the food chain, tigers keep populations of prey species in check, which in turn maintains the balance between herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed.

The five big cats in India

  • The term “big cat” is typically used to refer to any of the five living members of the genus Panthera, namely tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopard. Except the snow leopard, these species are able to roar.
  • A more liberal and expansive definition of the term includes species outside of Panthera including the cougar, clouded leopard, Sunda clouded leopard and cheetah, although these added species also do not roar.
  • Indian leopard is one of the big cats occurring on the Indian subcontinent, apart from the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard.
  • Lion and tiger: IUCN status – Endangered.
  • Indian leopard, Snow leopard and Clouded leopard – Vulnerable.

National Tiger Conservation Authority

  • It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the said Act.
  • The National Tiger Conservation Authority is set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Environment and Forests.
  • The Authority will have eight experts or professionals having qualifications and experience in wildlife conservation and welfare of people including tribals, apart from three Members of Parliament of whom two will be elected by the House of the People and one by the Council of States.
  • The Inspector General of Forests, in charge of project Tiger, will be ex-officio Member Secretary.

Project tiger

  • Aims at conserving India’s national animal i.e. Tiger.
  • Launched in 1973
  • Currently there are 47 tiger reserves
  • The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy.
    • The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.
    • The Project Tiger aims to foster an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas of tiger reserves, with an inclusive people oriented agenda in the buffer.
  • It is a 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 body of the Ministry, with an overarching supervisory / coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • Wild tigers are found in 18 States in India
  • The All India tiger estimation is carried out once in every four years.

Recent tiger reserves

  • So far 50 tiger reserves have been constituted.
  • Latest ones are Orang (2016) in Assam and Kamlang (2016) in Arunachal Pradesh.

Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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