How to protect Tigers Reserves in India ?

 Why is it in the news? 

1. The Central Government declared Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh as the country's 58th Tiger Reserve on Sunday (Dated 9th of March 2025). This is Madhya Pradesh 9th Tiger Reserve. The park is located in ShivPuri district in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh. It has a population of five tigers at present. Two more tigers are to be released into the Park. 

2. India doubled its Tiger Population in a decade from 1706 tigers in 2010 to 3682 in 2022 according to estimates by the National Tiger Conservation authority. 

3. India is home to roughly 75% of the total tiger population. Apart from India, there are 12 countries which are habitat for tigers. These countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos. The tiger population has become extinct in countries like South Korea, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. The rising population has been beneficial for the balanced ecosystem and increased in eco tourism which brought huge revenues. The common belief is that human densities preclude an increase in tiger population. This is wrong. The research shows that it is not the human density but the human attitude which matters the most. 

4. Tigers are spread across 138200 sq km in India. But only 25% of the area is prey rich and protected. Another 45% of tiger habitats are shared with roughly 60 million people. 

5. Tigers disappeared in some areas that were not near national parks, wildlife sanctuaries or other protected areas. Its population was also affected by increasing urbanisation, increased use of forest resources by mankind and higher frequency of armed conflict. In India, habitat is not  a constraint. It is the quality of the habitat which is a constraint. Thus, community support is essential for the conservation of tiger population in India. 

Where tigers are found in India ?   

1. Tigers are found in tropical moist deciduous forest of central India like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra where the annual rainfall is between 100 to 200 cm. These forests are characterised by open forest with dense undergrowth, rich diversity with herbivores like deer, sambhar and gaur. Important tiger reserves are Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Simlipal. 

2.Tigers are also found in dry deciduous forest in India where the annual rainfall is between 50cm to 100 cm. These forests have less dense vegetation but sufficient prey population. Important tiger reserves are Ranthambore, Panna, Sariska and Madhav National Park. 

3.Tigers are also found in tropical and subtropical moist evergreen forest of western ghats, north east India, Andaman and Nicobar island. Important tiger reserves are Periyar, Namdapha and Manas.

4. Tigers are also found in Mangrove forest of Sundarbans. They have adapted themselves according to the climate and thus, are adept in swimming and preying like fish and crabs. 

5. Tigers are also found in the mountain forest of the foothills of Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh. For example, Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand. 

6.  Thus, the large concentration of tigers in India is in the moist and dry deciduous forest. 

7. The key determining factors for ideal tigers depend upon the availability of prey density, forest cover and water availability. Habitat fragmentation limits their numbers. Secondly, the tiger population should not fall below 500 breeding individuals to prevent inbreeding and to maintain diversity. 

8. Tigers are apex predators, thereby, regulating herbivore populations like deer, wild boars to prevent overgrazing. This ensures healthy forest cover, maintains soil fertility, supports biodiversity and stores carbon.  

Difference between tiger reserves and national parks 

1. All tiger reserves are national parks or wildlife sanctuaries but not all national parks are tiger reserves. 

2. Tiger reserves focus specifically on tiger conservation while national parks protect a wide range of biodiversity. 

3. Tiger reserves have a core buffer system. There is limited tourism allowed in buffer zones but core areas have no human activity. On the other hand national parks do not have a core buffer system. No human activity like poaching, hunting and grazing is allowed. 

4. There are 100 national parks and 514 wildlife sanctuaries in India while there are 58 tiger reserves in India. 

Government efforts to conserve tigers in India

1. Project tiger was launched in 1973 for the conservation of tigers across different tiger regions of India. 

2. Government established a national tiger conservation authority in 2005 to oversee the implementation of project tiger and ensure compliance. 

3. India has adopted conservation assured/tiger standards across all tiger reserves to ensure effective management and accreditation of these tiger reserves. 

Strategies to protect tiger population  in India

1. Increasing the habitats of tigers by preventing deforestation,controlling land use changes and mitigating human wildlife conflict. 

2. Enforcement of stringent anti-poaching laws and enhancing surveillance within tiger reserves to protect tigers from hunting. 

3. Involvement of local communities in conservation efforts and promoting sustainable livelihood. 

4. Continuous research and monitoring of tiger populations and herbivores. 

5. Poachers and herd men should not be allowed to enter the reserve parks and centuries. 

6. All the degraded forest lands should be taken up by afforestation. 

7. Fragmented habitats of tigers should be connected by way of afforestation. 

8. All those unproductive lands which are not suitable for crop cultivation should be brought under forestry to increase the ecosystem and habitats for wildlife. 

9. Captive breeding of tigers should be encouraged. 

10. Seminars, conferences, workshops and exhibitions should be organised in national parks and sanctuaries to make people aware about the conservation of tigers and other wildlife.

11. Adequate medical facilities should be provided in the national park and wildlife sanctuaries for the treatment of tigers and other wildlife. 

Conclusion

India has the capacity to provide habitats for 10000 tigers. Thus, there is ample scope to increase the present population of tigers in India. This would be possible by increasing habitation through afforestation and bridging the gap of fragmented forests.The increasing population of tigers would ensure a better ecosystem, biodiversity and dense forests.