Concern over depleting tiger population in MP
by Ram Chand Sahu
Kanha
Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh): The depleting tiger
population in Madhya Pradesh has become a matter of serious
concern for the wildlife authorities in the State. The
development holds significance considering that Madhya
Pradesh is a good habitat for tigers and other big cats.
But the wildlife authorities have noticed that poachers
and smugglers often exploit the grinding poverty of people
in forest villages here and thus manage to win local villagers'
support. Authorities of Kanha Reserve Park and Wildlife
trust of India and Self-Help groups, are concerned over
the prevailing condition of tigers in forests here. They
claim to be doing enough to prevent what's happening here.
"We have tiger protection force, we have employed ex-army
men over here, we have concentrated more security in the
buffer areas. In our range, there are 29 villages that
come under buffer zone and 26 villages that come under
the core zone. We are working on the eco-development of
these villages," said R. P. Singh, Director, Kanha Tiger
Reserve. The purpose of all these efforts is to develop
good harmonious relationship between men and animals and
eliminate all possibilities of man-animal conflict.
Despite
the local authorities trying to make villagers aware and
drafting them as informants, the measures have not been
able to meet their expected results. "One could see a
lot of tigers over here. But in the past few years the
total number has gone down. A few days back a tiger skeleton
was found from this area. Previously, also the skin of
a tigress and hair and flesh of her dead cub were found
from the nearby area. I feel that these electric wires
should also be made underground, because if ever these
wires fall, that will eventually electrocute many animals,"
said Ram Prasad, a villager. Meanwhile, the self-help
groups want the government to enact tougher laws and implement
them rigorously to discourage poaching. "They all (poachers)
should be arrested then only we can curtail the roots
of their illicit business (of trading in tiger skins and
bones). Until the government doesn't come up with some
serious rules and regulations, till then we can't stop
them (poachers). And the laws of government should be
implemented strictly," said M K Rajiv Singh, Chairman
of Wild Life Trust of India. There were about 40,000 tigers
in India a century ago. A government report on tiger census,
published this year, states that the tiger population
has fallen to 1,411, down from 3,642 in 2002, largely
due to dwindling habitat and poaching. In 2006, a special
panel set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh observed
that thousands of poor villagers inside India's tiger
reserves would have to be relocated to protect the endangered
animals from poachers and smugglers. Some experts have
put the number at around 300,000.
-Jan
21, 2009
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