wild places | wild happenings | wild news
make a difference for our wild places

home | links | search the site
  all articles latest | past | articles by topics | search wildnews
wild news on wildsingapore
  Channel NewsAsia 10 Dec 05
Indian government relooks tiger conservation programme
By Channel NewsAsia's India Correspondent Vaibhav Varma

NEW DELHI : Wildlife conservationists in India have expressed grave concern at the rapidly falling population of the Indian tiger. They say stronger and more effective steps must be taken to check the sharp rise in poaching at tiger reserves.

The figures say it all. Some 40,000 tigers lived in India a century ago; by 1989, about 4,300 were left and today, they number just over 3,000. Studies have found that at least 400 tiger deaths over the last few years were due to poaching.

Newly appointed president of the Tiger Task Force, Sunita Narain, says the problem is serious enough for the government to relook at its programmes in protecting the fate of the tigers.

Said Ms Narain, "The government wants us to understand issues like what should be done about the forest department; what should be done to sensitise local communities; what should be done to improve the census methodology. In all of them, we need to apply our minds, look at the best practices in different parts of the world, look at the best practices in India, and then come up with answers."

In the last five years, 238 seizures of tiger parts ranging from skin and bones, to their skull, teeth and nails, have been made in India. But the conviction rate of those charged with poaching remains at less than 5 percent.

Such illegal trade in tigers is spurred by international demand, with trans-national rings forming multi-million dollar networks. These nexus, say experts, are as widespread and organised as those in the narcotics trade.

Ms Narain said, "Just like you have in narcotics, you need a wildlife crime bureau which can actually break the network that exists. Poaching also happens because of an international trade and poaching network that goes to China and Tibet as we know."

To the poacher, a dead tiger is worth little more than US$100. In the international market, a single animal can fetch up to US$50,000.

With such money to be made, it is not difficult to know where the driving force for poachers comes from. As the problem goes beyond being just a local one, calls have been made for international level coordination measures to protect the tiger, before it too goes the way of the dodo. - CNA /ct
links
Related articles on Big cats
about the site | email ria
  News articles are reproduced for non-profit educational purposes.
 

website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com