By Harish K Singh
Now in 2010 it is widely believed that there are probably as few as 800 tigers surviving in India and the World Wildlife Fund has listed this magnificent animal as one of the 10 key creatures facing imminent extinction. This shocking figure is in spite of many initiatives from the Indian government, starting in 1973 with the launch of Project Tiger campaign. The tiger is a beautiful, charismatic species and the national animal of India but as a top predator it also plays a crucial role in the health and diversity of a unique ecosystem, maintaining the balance between its prey and the vegetation that it feeds on - without the tiger much of India's wonderful wildlife and beautiful forests will no longer exist.
There are two main interlinking issues that are forcing the tiger into extinction. Firstly there is the problem of habitat as the needs of the tiger and those of the local people in and around India's tiger reserves and National Parks are diametrically opposed - the local villagers need grazing and firewood to survive while the tiger needs vast uninhabited areas for its survival. Secondly, tiger skins and body parts fetch huge sums of money in countries such as China so poaching is a risky but lucrative way of life that the authorities seem completely unable to combat.
How can these issues be addressed? In fact one of the best ways of protecting the tiger is through tourism as wildlife holidays bring prosperity and pride to the local people. There are specialist tour companies that always use local guides and resources that support local initiatives and that work with local NGOs in educating villagers to understand that the tiger is a valuable resource that will bring them long-term benefit rather and is not a threat to their own existence. With a responsible tour operator it is possible to have the holiday of a lifetime while helping the conservation of one of the world's most endangered species. The more people that choose to go on a tiger safari in India, the more chance the Bengal tiger has of survival.
Now in 2010 it is widely believed that there are probably as few as 800 tigers surviving in India and the World Wildlife Fund has listed this magnificent animal as one of the 10 key creatures facing imminent extinction. This shocking figure is in spite of many initiatives from the Indian government, starting in 1973 with the launch of Project Tiger campaign. The tiger is a beautiful, charismatic species and the national animal of India but as a top predator it also plays a crucial role in the health and diversity of a unique ecosystem, maintaining the balance between its prey and the vegetation that it feeds on - without the tiger much of India's wonderful wildlife and beautiful forests will no longer exist.
There are two main interlinking issues that are forcing the tiger into extinction. Firstly there is the problem of habitat as the needs of the tiger and those of the local people in and around India's tiger reserves and National Parks are diametrically opposed - the local villagers need grazing and firewood to survive while the tiger needs vast uninhabited areas for its survival. Secondly, tiger skins and body parts fetch huge sums of money in countries such as China so poaching is a risky but lucrative way of life that the authorities seem completely unable to combat.
How can these issues be addressed? In fact one of the best ways of protecting the tiger is through tourism as wildlife holidays bring prosperity and pride to the local people. There are specialist tour companies that always use local guides and resources that support local initiatives and that work with local NGOs in educating villagers to understand that the tiger is a valuable resource that will bring them long-term benefit rather and is not a threat to their own existence. With a responsible tour operator it is possible to have the holiday of a lifetime while helping the conservation of one of the world's most endangered species. The more people that choose to go on a tiger safari in India, the more chance the Bengal tiger has of survival.
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