Journalism of Courage
Anti-poaching measures in Nepal have raised its tiger population. India presents a tragic contrast
Indias anti-poaching measures present a tragic contrast. At least 78 tiger deaths were recorded in 2012,most of them killed by poachers. Yet,there is an absence of sustained and consistent conservation efforts,and a proliferation of blunt instruments and knee-jerk actions,such as the Supreme Court ban on tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves last year. Or the maximalist measures announced by panicky state governments jolted by a surge in tiger deaths,the Maharashtra government issued a shoot-at-sight order against poachers last May. The countrys first anti-poaching unit was introduced only last year,with the formation of the new Special Tiger Protection Force,which spans across Karnataka,Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
But a rise in tiger numbers in Nepal has come with its costs. Man-animal conflicts have risen in the Terai,as the growing population of tigers spills out of its shrinking terrain. This worrying trend has been observed in reserves across India as well. It points to a need to broaden the project of conservation,to balance the interests of local communities dependent on the forests with the preservation of tiger habitat.
