Tag: tiger

Wildlife crimes rise by 100% in a year in Kerala

KOCHI: Wildlife-related crimes have increased dramatically in the state and there has been a 100% rise in the number of cases registered in 2020 compared to the previous year.

According to data obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the state registered 303 cases in 2020 as against 151 in 2019 and 61 in 2018. As many as 156 cases were recorded in the state in 2021 till August 26 this year.


Most cases pertained to poaching of endangered animals and reptiles, hunting for meat and illegal trading and possession of horns, tusks, nails, and teeth. Removing tusks or nails and collecting meat from animals that died naturally is also an offence. More than 80% of the total cases registered each year are in connection with poaching of wild animals other than wild boars that cause extensive damage to standing crops.

Besides wild boars, sambar deer, spotted deer, porcupines, monitor lizards, pythons, civets and turtles are among those that fall prey to poaching. Occasionally, elephants, leopard, tigers and wild gaurs are also hunted down, say the data.


“Since movements were restricted during the Covid period, people living adjacent to forests got more opportunities to engage in poaching. Poachers have also improved their intelligence gathering. The presence of wild animals also increased in the fringe areas, leading to the rise in poaching incidents,” said a member of a flying squad of the forest department.


People also lay electric wires to electrocute the animals, besides using poisoning too.
Besides killing the animals, depriving them of food is also an offence, as the data show. Among the registered cases, two are in connection with freeing chickens from the mouth of a python forcefully.

Don’t let Covid eclipse the tiger

India’s efforts towards conservation of tigers has been very successful. According to recent reports, India now has 51 tiger reserves consisting of at least 3,000 tigers. More and more Indians flock towards safari parks to marvel at these wondrous creatures and other forms of wildlife. Nature lovers are waiting impatiently to finally be amidst the beautiful places on Earth that they call their home.

On June 7, however, the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA), sent out a circular to the chief wildlife wardens of all the tiger range states. The recent case of a lioness, suspected to have died of Covid-19 infection, got the authorities on alert. There were warnings of high rates of transmission of this virus from affected human beings to captive wild animals. Hence, the authorities stated that tiger reserves needed to be closed for tourism activities until further orders. The intentions of the NTCA was understandable, however, we need to address this issue in a wider perspective.

Tiger reserves in Karnataka which normally remain open throughout the year, were closed for almost two months in the brutal second wave. They are currently gearing up to reopen as soon as possible. Government and civil society organizations have used the lockdown time to treat, educate, test and wherever possible, to vaccinate the communities around the park-forest officials, staff or tribal communities.

As for the tourists, the sad truth is that safari holidays are mainly for the urban and elite people who can afford it, and it is safe to assume that they have been vaccinated. This will further more reduce the risk of infection. Also, the risk of infection hasn’t been determined yet, and the risk of death due to infection is not even under speculation.

Let us assume we open up the wildlife parks for the public. Most of the tourists are going to travel by jeeps, and hence be at a safe distance from all the animals in that region, and that too in an open space, which makes it safer. Tourists are going to be wearing masks at all times and practice social distancing just like normal times. Hence, forest authorities should really contemplate the decision to keep the parks shut.

The wildlife tourism is an important aspect of generation of revenue in the states, and is a source of income for many people. Lakhs of livelihoods around these reserves are in peril, and the impact of a prolonged lockdown will be very severe. Hence a cost-benefit analysis needs to be carried out to ensure the decisions taken by the forest authorities are also in favor of the people depending upon wildlife tourism as a way to earn their daily bread.

Lakhs of tribal people live close to or inside these parks and have the right to collect forest produce. It is not possible to exclude them from the forests that they have helped conserve.  Instead of imposing a blanket ban on all wildlife reserves, situation specific steps must be taken to tackle this situation.

New non-invasive and bio-safe protocols must be implemented for wildlife surveillance and species monitoring. Early warning systems must be kept in place to immediately pin point the area of danger for the animals or point of contact between humans and animals or the animals and the outside world. There are many environmental organizations that, when given the chance, will surely be eager to help out the authorities and the government in these endeavors.

This is the only place in the world where you can see tigers in the mangroves

The Sundarbans is the only place in the world where you can see tigers in the mangroves. Situated on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, this mangrove forest stretches across India and Bangladesh. Sunderbans is located at a distance of about 120 km from the city of Kolkata.

The area where the river and the sea meet is rich in mangroves. Sunderbans is the most diverse mangrove area. 78 species are found here. Sundarbans or Sundarbans got its name from the abundance of mangroves called Sundari.

Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1977, the area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The place has also been declared a Tiger Reserve to protect the tigers.

The tigers here can be considered as ‘amphibians’ that can easily land and water. Their behavior has changed to suit the life in the mangroves. They can travel long distances through the water. These tigers are also good at hunting fish and crabs from the water.

Sunderbans are more dangerous than the Bengal tiger in general. They have a habit of crawling behind and attacking. Every year, many villagers are injured in tiger attacks. Some even die.You can take a boat ride through the small islands and see the sights. There have also been incidents of tigers swimming near the boat carrying tourists. In addition to tigers, the Sundarbans is home to deer, a variety of crocodiles, other reptiles, and a variety of birds.The Royal Bengal Tiger Tour, the Sunderbans Weekend Tour, the Tigers & Renault Tour and the East India Wildlife Tour are some of the packages available for visitors.

How To Reach

By Air: Nearest Airport: Jodhpur (280 km / 5 hrs)By Rail: Jaisalmer station has connections to Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahemedabad and Jodhpur. Good options are Delhi-Jaisalmer Express, Jodhpur-Jaisalmer Express and Surya mail linking Mumbai and Ahemedabad.

By Road: Luxury buses from Jodhpur, Jaipur and Bikaner serve Jaisalmer daily

International Tiger Day

“Let us keep the tigers in jungles & not in history, save tigers”

Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. In the summit, governments of tiger-populated countries vowed to double the tiger population by 2022. Almost a decade has passed since then. The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues. According to the WWF experts Darren Grover,  the world had lost around 97 percent of wild tigers in the last 100 years. Currently, only 3,000 tigers are left alive compared to around 100,000 Tiger a century ago.  Many international organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), are also involved in the conservation of the wild tigers.

“The roar is rare.”

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The awe-inspiring tiger is one of the most iconic animals on Earth. The tiger population across the world dropped sharply since the beginning of the 20th century but now for the first time in conservation history, their numbers are on the rise. Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, on Tuesday, released the detailed Status of Tigers Report 2018. According to the report, released on the eve of Global Tiger Day, tigers were observed to be increasing at a rate of 6 percent per annum in India from 2006 to 2018. In good news for India, Environment Minister, Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said, the country “has 70 percent of world’s tiger population”, after releasing a report on tiger census ahead of International Tiger Day on July 29.

There are a number of different issues that tigers all around the world face. There are a number of threats that are driving tigers close to extinction, and we can do our bit to make sure that we do not lose these incredible creatures. Some of the threats that tigers face include poaching, conflict with humans, and habitat loss.  Poaching and the illegal trade industry is a very worrying one. This is the biggest threat that wild tigers face. Demand for tiger bone, skin, and other body parts is leading to poaching and trafficking. This is having a monumental impact on the sub-populations of tigers, resulting in localized extinctions. We often see tiger skins being used in home decor. Moreover, bones are used for medicines and tonics. This has seen illegal criminal syndicates get involved in the tiger trade in order to make huge profits. It really is a worrying industry. In fact, it is thought to be worth 10 billion dollars per annum in the United States alone. This is why we need to support charities and work hard to put an end to poaching and the illegal trade of tiger parts. While this represents the biggest threats to tigers, there are a number of other threats as well. This includes habitat loss. Throughout the world, tiger habitats have reduced because of access routes, human settlements, timber logging, plantations, and agriculture. In fact, only around seven percent of the historical range of a tiger is still intact today. That is an incredibly small and worrying amount. This can increase the number of conflicts between tigers, as they roman about and try to locate new habitats. Not only this, but genetic diversity can reduce because it can cause there to be inbreeding in small populations.

Since the tiger is an “umbrella species”, its conservation enables the conservation of their entire ecosystems. Several studies have shown that Tiger reserves harbor new species, which are found practically every year. Tiger reserves have also improved the water regimes in regions where they are located, improving groundwater tables and other water bodies, thus contributing favorably to the climate. This year marks the tenth International Tiger Day. On International Tiger Day, several countries discuss issues related to tiger conservation and also try to amass funds for wildlife preservation. Moreover, many celebrities also pitch in for International Tiger Day and try to spread awareness about the conditions of tigers using their massive social media presence. India is especially important for International Tiger Day 2020 as the country currently has 75% of all tigers on the planet. A lot of people are not aware of these threats, and so spreading the knowledge can help to make sure that we all do our bit to ensure that the tiger’s future is a fruitful one. There will be a lot of videos, infographics, and interesting pieces of content going around that you can share with others.

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“Tiger is a symbol of Beauty, Bravery, Strength and Nationality. So Save the Tiger, Save the Nation’s Pride.”