India has recently established the 57th tiger reserve – Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh and of the Vindhya Range in central India.
This rare achievement shows that the country remains very much committed to the protection of tigers and other species of wildlife. Place is rich in biodiversity but with much of the state’s teak plantations destroyed by abuse and overexploitation, only a limited number of places are left with natural teak standing woods and the reserve is one of them also harbours many species of plant and animal life.
Significance of Tiger Reserves
Tiger reserves in India refer to geographical portions of a state protected under Project Tiger launched in 1973. These reserves have the strategic objective of conservation of tigers and their habitats, preservation of biological diversity, and restoration of the biological balance. The location of tiger reserves is delineated by extensive large area of land which is again divided into the core area and the buffer area. The core area is a national park or sanctuary where all wildlife is protected by law and the buffer area is an intermediate zone that allows wildlife dispersal and habitat.
Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary: A New Addition
The Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary occupies an area of 1271.4 Km^2 having core zone of 763.8 Km^2and Buffer zone of 507.6 Km^2. This is the 8th tiger reserve the state of Madhya Pradesh which has been famed for the presence of a large tiger population and spectacular biological diversity. There is no doubt that Ratapani is now recognized as a tiger reserve because of the state’s commitment to wildlife and the environment.
Conservation and Sustainable Utilization and Ecotourism
This development is in a long line of measures that have sought to enhance wildlife management within the space. Standard precautionary measures, site conservation, wildlife tourism and stakeholders’ involvement processes will be implemented to protect tigers and their environment. Small scale ecotourism efforts will raise consciousness regarding environmental protection issues and improve the situation for local people who enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the natural environment.
India in global Tiger Conservation
India is home to over seventy percent of the world's wild tiger population, making it a crucial player in global tiger conservation efforts. The formation of Ratapani Tiger Reserve contribute to the existing network of tiger reserves which spreads over an area of approximately 82,000 Km^2and constitutes over 2.3% of total geographical area of India. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) carries out tiger census frequently in order to recognize the position of tigers and the efficiency of the measures taken for their protection.
Tiger conservation
Focusing on the Ratapani Tiger Reserve, one can identify India’s constant efforts in its work on tiger and other bio-diverse species preservation. While it is growing its number of centres of tiger reserves the country stands as an example to other countries in the fight against extinction of wildlife. Conservation of these species requires joint effort by government, local people and other organizations, both locally and internationally.
What are Tiger Reserves and how are they formed?
Tiger reserves are designated to protect and maintain areas for tigers and a number of other species among which there are tigers. These reserves are invaluable for the existence of this highly threatened species and where they can live and multiply safely. They also have humongous responsibilities in contributing to natural equilibrium as well as on the conservation of the species.
Tiger Reserves Significance
Tiger reserves are essential for several reasons:
- Biodiversity Conservation: Tigers are carnivores; they are categorized as super predators because they occupy the highest position in the Food Chain. This is so because they contribute to the balance of ecosystems, hence reducing the number of herbivores that destroy vegetation and decrease biodiversity.
- Ecological Balance: Tiger preservation is synonymous to the preservation of climates and other frameworks, systems and patterns. This means that while trying to protect the status of the tiger more opportunities are created thus ensuring that many endangered species also get a chance of protection.
- Cultural and Economic Value: Culturally and spiritually tigers have a lot of importance to the people of different countries. Thus, tiger reserves themselves encourage ecotourism to give economic returns to the people who live in the region as well as create consciousness among people regarding Wildlife conservation.
- Scientific Research: Tiger reserves facilitate studies or research in different scientific field, ecological as well as biological aspect in connection to wildlife as well as environment so as to promote the concept of wildlife as well as conservation.
The Procedure in Establishing a Tiger Reserve
Formation of a tiger reserve means overcoming some challenges and involving many actors, starting with the government and finishing with, conservational organizations and communities.
- Identification of Potential Areas: The first assessment is to locate the country or region where possible areas, suitable for tigers and proper den, are available. They are usually habitual regions which are either in the form of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries or forest which has presence of tigers.
- Scientific Assessments: There are surveys, which are carried out based on the saturation of scientific knowledge, for the estimate of the habitat quality, density of tigers and their prey, preliminary risks. These assessments play a central role in defining the feasibility of the located region as a tiger reserve.
- Consultation with Stakeholders: Several meetings are conducted with the different stakeholders within the country; the locals, state forest departments and some conservation NGOs among them. Community participation is paramount as the people within the targeted region are necessary to facilitate compliance with intended conservation strategies.
- Preparation of a Proposal: Consequently, based on the assessments and consultations, the proposal and importance of a tiger reserve, its geographical extent, its management, and the broad conservation measures to be adopted are outlined. It is tabled before the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for consideration and ratification.
- Approval and Notification: The NTCA goes through the proposal and if it approves the formation of the tiger reserve, it gives out approval. The state government then serves a notification which brings the area under “the Tiger Reserve” category. The notification contains information regarding the area of core and buffer zone as well as the rules pertaining the reserve.
- Implementation of Conservation Measures: After formal declaration of Tiger Reserve, a numbers of conservation strategies are initiated to conserve and manage the tigers and their territories. These are; anti-poaching, reparative measures on degraded habitats, regulating and conserving the prey base, outreach programs, and promoting sustainable eco-travel.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: There is a great need for monitoring and evaluating conservation to determine the impact of the efforts implemented. Tiger population estimations along with habitat conditions are assessed frequently by surveys, camera and tracking procedures. Conservation issues are dealt with by using adaptive management tactics due to new uncertainties about conservation effectiveness.
Tiger Conservation and Protection of Tiger Reserves in India
India is the land of tiger as it has more tiger population in the wild than any other country in the world and thus whatever conservation effort is carried out in different parts of the country is directly affecting the entire world population of wild tigers. In the last three decades India has put in place several strong measures to guard tigers and their territories. These are mainly led by the governments of the target countries, non-governmental organizations that focus conservation and locals with the aim of continuing the presence of tigers in the wild. Toward this goal, this part looks at the major conservation measures regarding tigers and tiger reserves in India.
Project Tiger
To the understanding of one of the most important Indian outcomes in the sphere of wildlife protection it is possible to turn to the Project Tiger which started in 1973. Project focused on nine reserves initially, Project Tiger now recognizes 57 reserves throughout India, encompassing a total area of approximately 82,000 Km^2. The objectives of the project are centralised around establishing and sustaining protected areas, reducing human interference with the tigers and improving scientific study.
Anti-Poaching Measures
Tiger poaching still represents one of the greatest threats to tigers in India. To counter this, India has come up with measures that have been quoted as world-class anti-poaching measures. Specially trained anti poachers equipped with simple and sophisticated equipments and high tech communications and move around tiger reserves to prevent and arrest poachers. The findings also show how camera trapping, drone photography, GPS collaring assist in observing tiger paths and identifying unlawful activities. Also extinction of poaching involves social and economic factors with awareness campaigns and other community engagement intended to check poaching.
Restoration and Maintenance of Habitats
The preservation of habitat and the provision of delight are both essential to the continued existence of the species. Positive manipulation of the habitat entails planting of trees, eradication of unwanted species as well as availability of foods that they depend on. Establishment of wildlife connectors is also essential since it helps the tigers to move from one area to the other freely without been hunted. These corridors are useful in meeting genetic needs and minimizing contact between man and tiger since they offer other track routes to the tigers.
Community involvement
Of particular interest to tiger conservation is the active participation of local people in the process. Most tiger reserves exist in or adjacent to human-dominated landscapes, where interest in conserving tigers must be appropriate for both landscapes and the people who live there. There is a lot of emphasis on performing several activities to change human behaviour towards the forests through community conservation strategies like development of eco-tourism and controlled farming to little dependence on the forests. This way, the locals get ownership and take full responsibility of the tiger conservation after educating them on the importance of the species.
Scientific Research and Monitoring
Research is important in predicting the behaviour, ecology and threats of tigers. Population sample, genealogical, and ecological censuses contain the important information required to make the right decisions. Some of approaches include the application of technology like camera traps and satellite telemetry, in the monitoring as well as the management of tiger stocks. Interdisciplinary investigations with government bodies and academic institutions together with conservation non-governmental organizations enhance the repository and efforts towards conservation.
International Collaboration
India works in tandem with other tiger bearing nations and multilateral institutions in order to improve efforts to conserve the tiger. The GTF and the GTI are the forum of learning and capacity to share and exchange experiences, practices, and tools. These collaborations assist in management of cross-boundary conservation challenges including poaching and habitat split as well as enhance world initiatives in tiger conservation.