India's tiger population being fast depleted, say officials

May 23, 2007, 16:27 GMT

New Delhi - India's tiger population is being fast depleted in several reserves in northern and central India, according to initial findings of a national tiger census made public Wednesday.

A count in 16 reserves in central Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states, western Maharashtra and northern Rajasthan and their surrounding areas show depletion of up to 50 per cent, officials of the state-run Wildlife Institute of India (WII) said at a briefing.

WII carried out a census of tigers in national reserves in 2006 with the help of NGOs and forest departments.

The numbers in Madhya Pradesh alone had dropped to 330 from 710 counted during a census in 2003, YV Jhala of WII said.

WII officials, however, cautioned that the large difference in figures may be partly due to different methods of collation used during the count in 2003 and the 2006 census.

Earlier tiger counts were made largely on the basis of pugmarks (paw prints) but this was supplemented in 2006 with camera traps, habitat surveys, dung droppings and other methods. The officials suggested that the 2003 count may have been flawed and, therefore, inflated.

'In general, the situation is not good,' Jhala said. He said the tigers were doing better in the reserves but most of the big cats in outside areas had been depleted. An estimated 60 per cent of India's tiger population is believed to live outside reserves.

Depleted natural habitats and rampant poaching were cited as the main reasons behind the disappearing tigers. 'In recent years poaching has been the more important reason for the disappearing tigers,' Jhala said.

Tiger poaching in India is spurred by a thriving trade in tiger skin and parts in China and South-East Asia where they are used for robes and for preparing traditional medicines.

The forest reserves are understaffed and patrolling is difficult. Tiger conservation activists have long been demanding the government set up a wildlife crime bureau, but the proposal is stuck with India's Finance Ministry.

The latest census was carried out after tigers virtually disappeared from the Sariska reserve in Rajasthan.

It is estimated that there were about 40,000 tigers in India a century ago, but their numbers dwindled to 3,700 according to the 2003 census. Wildlife experts now say the numbers could be just about 1,000 as the final census count, to be released by the end of 2007 the year, is awaited.