Tiger146;s trail

By personally visiting India8217;s largest and most high-profile tiger sanctuary 8212; Ranthambhore 8212; Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wished to convey the message that the Centre was very serious about addressing the crisis currently affecting the Big Cat in this country. He is by no means the first prime minister to express such concern. It is said that Salim Ali, the famous ornithologist, had commended Indira Gandhi8217;s efforts in this direction because he believed that if the person at the top is responsive, it energises the entire system.

It is perhaps a sign of the times, however, that even the undoubted reassurance of prime ministerial concern seems pitifully inadequate in the face of what can only be termed a wildlife catastrophe staring the nation in the face. When a country that is home to an estimated 40 per cent of the world8217;s tigers wakes up one day to find one of its 8216;8216;tiger sanctuaries8217;8217; bereft of all traces of the animal, it is evidence of a well-entrenched poaching mafia that has been operating without let or hindrance for years. What happens then when the prime minister and his cavalcade of eager forest officers leave the park? It is the answer to this question that will determine the impact of the prime ministerial visit because soundbites quite obviously no longer suffice.

Nobody seriously denies that it is the poachers that have done the major damage but nobody seems to agree on how the crime needs to be addressed. Some argue that stricter surveillance of sanctuaries is the answer, others believe that unless people in the area have a stake in protecting the tigers, the animals will continue to disappear. The second approach appears the more logical one, but it should not preclude the government8217;s efforts to prevent poaching by tracking down the gangs 8212; which are better networked internationally than ever before 8212; cracking down on them and shoring up forest management, both financially and in terms of infrastructure. The task force set up by the prime minister has identified the monsoons as a period when the tiger is the most vulnerable to the wiles of the poacher. It has asked for a red alert during the coming season. This is a timely call. Let us see how effective it actually proves to be.