Tiger Reserves are legally demarcated protected areas managed for the conservation of the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and its habitat. India is home to approximately 75% of the world’s wild tiger population.
1. Project Tiger and Administration
Project Tiger: A major wildlife conservation program launched by the Government of India in 1973.
Goal: To ensure a viable population of Bengal Tigers in their natural habitats.
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA): Statutory body established in 2005 to administer and oversee the Tiger Reserves.
Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP): Mandatory, site-specific management plan for each Tiger Reserve.
2. Objectives and Importance
Umbrella Species: The tiger is an ‘umbrella species’. Protecting it ensures the protection of the entire ecosystem.
Biodiversity Protection: Reserves function as biodiversity hotspots.
Genetic Diversity: Conservation relies on securing wildlife corridors that connect habitats.
3. Structure of a Tiger Reserve
Zone
Description
Permitted Activities
Core Area (Critical Tiger Habitat)
Innermost, strictly protected, free from human activity.
Exclusive focus on conservation and research. Tourism is highly restricted.
Buffer Zone
Surrounds the Core Area, acting as a transitional zone.
Managed for conservation-compatible activities, eco-tourism, and sustainable community livelihoods.
M-STrIPES:Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection & Ecological Status. A mobile application-based system for patrol monitoring, real-time data collection, and anti-poaching efforts.
Camera Traps: Used to capture images for non-invasive individual tiger identification (fingerprinting stripes).
UAVs (Drones): Used for surveillance and remote monitoring of large landscapes.
7. Major Challenges in Tiger Conservation
Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Due to infrastructure projects, tiger populations and wildlife corridors.
Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC): Resulting from encroachment, leading to livestock predation and retaliatory killings.
Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade: Driven by demand for tiger parts, requiring strengthened anti-poaching forces (STPF).
Administrative and Resource Issues: Insufficient funding, staff shortages, and challenges in village relocation.
Climate Change: Threatens unique habitats, notably the Sunderbans, which is vulnerable to sea-level rise.