Tiger conservation does not stop with numbers, warn experts

CHENNAI: The latest national tiger estimation showing a 20 per cent increase in the number of big cats to 1706 from 1411 is cause for cheer, but leading experts and conservationists say the next focus should be on protecting its habitats and retaining their continuity and overall ecological quality.

"Though the latest national tiger population estimation shows an increasing trend, we need to focus on protection of tiger habitats, retaining habitat contiguity and the overall ecological quality of tiger habitats," says Ravi Chellam, a scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India.

The All India Tiger Estimation - conducted every four years - in 2010 showed a 20 per cent increase over the figure in 2006 which was 1411.

Notwithstanding the increase in the numbers, experts feel the big cats are constantly under threat due to development related infrastructure expansion into tiger habitats.

"Though we still have a few large tiger habitats, expansion of infrastructure into tiger habitats like laying of railway lines and roads have a very negative impact on their habitat as well as on direct mortality of animals and also increased human access to these habitats," says Chellam.

"Data only shows the number of tigers left in the wild, but it is other deeds like conserving habitats and preventing their fragmentation and restoring connectivity that will ensure the tiger population survives and proliferates in the long run," he said.

Tamil Nadu along with Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka leads in tiger density, says the estimation.