India ready to impart training to conserve tigers: Javadekar

HYDERABAD: India is ready to impart training and even donate tigers to other countries as part of efforts for the conservation of the endangered species, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Prakash Javadekar said today.

"We have the most advanced standard operating procedures on tiger conservation. We can even give the technology and the capacity building to other countries who want to conserve tiger," Javadekar told reporters, after visiting the Forest Academy at Dulapally here.

"13 countries are having tiger population besides those other countries which have forest cover that are suitable for tiger..we can impart training, capacity building and we are even ready to donate tigers if proper care is taken," he said adding "we are in dialogue with (such countries)."

The minister said India has been the most successful country in preservation and conserving the tigers. India now has 70 per cent of the tiger population in the world. And the number is growing.

As per the census report declared three months ago, the tiger population was 2,226. "Now I think we have nearly 2,400 (tigers). Out of this photographs of 1,700 individual tigers have with us," he said.

"We are taking special care of orphaned tiger cubs. We are not allowing any tiger to die untimely."

Asked on the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), he said, "We are now amending the law so that the CAMPA funds will be available to the states and they can be used for real afforestation."

Telangana State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) P K Sharma were among other senior officials were present.