Thursday 06 Feb 2025

Forest dept efforts needed to protect tigers from hunters

DATTAPRASAD SHIRODKAR, Mumbai | FEBRUARY 05, 2025, 08:42 PM IST

Jim Corbett, Gangotri, Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand; Amangarh, Pilibhit, Valmiki National Park in Uttar Pradesh; Balaghat, Pench Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh; and the Western Ghats comprising Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Kerala are among the nine states where around 1,800 tigers are currently at risk. On the international market, tiger body parts, claws, and skins are being auctioned for millions, attracting poachers to these nine tiger projects.

The Indian Wildlife Institute has issued warnings for 24 tiger projects. These nine states are home to at least 1,800 tigers. Following resolutions passed at a 13-country tiger summit last year, India successfully doubled its tiger population by 2022. Currently, India hosts around 4,000 tigers. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh play a key role in this success, with India alone preserving 73.7% of the world's tigers.  This summer, forest departments will need to put extra effort into protecting tigers from hunters. The Wildlife Crime Bureau, functioning similarly to the CBI, has issued alerts to all tiger reserves in the country. Tigers in reserves and protected forests have become targets for international poachers, making it critical to enhance patrolling in sensitive forest zones.



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