NATIONAL ANIMAL ONLY 1411

The number of tigers in India:
Year: 1990s
Tigers: 40,000+

Year: 1972
Tigers: 1827

Year: 1997
Tigers: 3508

Year: 2002
Tigers: 3642

Year: 2007
Tigers: 1411

We, as a country with an area of 32,87,590 sq.km and a population of about 113crores have a tiger population of only 1411 in the year 2007. This fact recently gripped the headlines.

I generally have a habit of reading the entire article but when I first read the headline, I didn't want to read the article. I was rather sad and taken back after I read the headline. Can't India as one of the largest country and a country having most manpower in the world even protect 3000+ tigers that it has? Can't India as a country take care of the national animal of India? If this is the state of our national animal, what would be the condition of other animals?

As the facts suggest the tiger population was about 1827 in 1972 from 40,000 in the early 1900s. There is no one you can blame because about 2/3rd of this period we were ruled by the Britishers and the rest period was spent in organizing India. After the census in 1972, the government launched Project Tiger which I guess was instrumental for the increase in number of Tigers from 1827 to 3508 in 1997. But don't you think that 25 years is a lot of time and the number of tigers should have at least reached 7000 by the end of 1997. even if we consider 3508 to be a very good number, especially after 1827, there wasn't any significant rise from the year of 1997 to 2002. It was only increase of 134 in a span of 5 years. The shocker that came recently stated that the tiger number is India had dipped to 1411 from 3642 in just 5 years. Thats 2231 tigers gone and there is no record of where and how. The government is least interested in animals and their protection. The just want to shell out some quotas of cry foul over each other in order to influence their vote-bank. After all, Tigers don't vote. A government which doesn't address to population concerns (increase) in India will actually be happy that now they have 2231 tigers less to look after. Any ways, the government never cared of what happens to these tigers. After all, Tigers don't vote. A person in India who goes to a forest to see the Tiger has to return with the tigers foot-marks only. This is the condition of tigers in India. They are so less in number, that our future generation will only be looking at the tigers in photo frames. i really don't understand what the administration up to. If they can protect the 3000+ politicians in this country, why cant the protect the 3000+ tigers. If one politician can have 4-5 security officers around him, cant we have one person to look after 1 tiger at least. Can't these politicians (who if actually die is going to help the country) sacrifice one security guard for the tigers?

The government needs to take steps and quickly to protect this wild animal. One way out of this, as I have already mentioned is, assign one man per tiger. That person has to take care of the tiger, right from his food to his health. And even protect him. Eventually, there will be no way of the animal being killed for its skin because, one person will always be there to protect the tiger. A second option out is, allow private bodies to take up sanctuaries in India and in turn give them tax soaps. This way, the government won't have to take any extra effort in protecting the tiger. The private body has to be answerable to the media and the government. this will ensure there is no foul play involved. If given a chance, people will be ready to volunteer in order to protect this animal in what ever way they can. The forests in India are becoming small to smaller day by day. The government is giving away forests in form of SEZ's and there has been no regulation of forest area in India. There needs to be proper regulation of forest land. Any further sale of forest land has to be stopped and the forests in India have to be preserved. If required, artificial sanctuaries for tigers should be built even if it involves chunks and chunks of money and man power. We have loads of man power and money too only if it reaches proper channels. We even need to bring in life-in-prison punishment for tiger killing. Our laws against tiger killing need to me made more strict. The culprits are most often easily let-off. Due to this, once they are free, they are not scared to kill another tiger. The tiger needs to be given the same importance as a human. After all, it is our national animal. It would be a shame, if we cannot protect even 1411 tigers and cant increase their number to 14110 in the next decade. We have science to support us and if required, we can always take the help of science to increase the tiger's birthrate.

Eventually, if the government even implements ahlf of the above suggestions, I am pretty much sure, the number of Tigers in India will be 40K+ by the end of 2030. Our target now should only be 40K+ and 2030. The should be no other number in our mind and even if there is, it should be more than 40K and less that 2030.

I sincerely hope that the tiger population in India rises and I am sure, if together, we try and persuade the government, we will be able to get the necessary changes.

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