Explanation:
The key findings from many years of study of tiger population have indicated that in many sites, tigers decline in numbers because of habitat loss and prey depletion rather than being killed directly. A tiger needs to eat about 50 deer-sized animals or 6,600 pounds of living prey every year. Wherever prey-base is adequate and good protection measures are in place tiger populations reach high numbers simply because the species breeds quickly.
Prey species itself depend on conditions of the habitat. 21 tiger reserves in India out of 28 had lost about 250 square km of forest from 1997 to 2002. In the outer surround (within 10km from periphery of a tiger reserve) forest cover declined over the same period by 124 sq km in the same reserves. Tigers typically survive in what scientists call meta-populations — a source population with breeding females living in dense patches of forests — surrounded by dispersing tigers making their way into not so well kept nearby forests. Now when both core and buffer zones are under pressure, the tiger is hardly likely to be unaffected.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) commissioned a study by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to show how much of India’s forests in tiger habitats are really capable of supporting the cat. In Shivaliks, comprising Corbett National Park and other areas, only 20.34 per cent were found of capable of really holding the tigers. The rest is too degraded and under pressure from human activity. Similarly, in central India, only 38.5 per cent could support tigers.
According to RPS Katwal, additional director general, wildlife in the Union ministry of environment and forest, increasing human habitation in and around forest sanctuaries, immense shortage of manpower in forest department and lucrative smuggling trade in wildlife to China and South East Asian nations are proving to be major stumbling blocks in the protection of the big cat in India. To kill tigers rich smugglers employ poor gullible villagers and they do it for a few thousand rupees
