Introduction

Madhav National Park, located in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, was recently designated as India’s 58th tiger reserve. This decision is expected to strengthen the conservation efforts in the Ranthambore-Kuno-Madhav National Park corridor, which is recognized as a vital habitat for sustaining and expanding the tiger population. The newly declared reserve spans an area of 1,651 square kilometers and currently hosts six tigers, including a cub. This addition aligns with India’s broader conservation strategy under Project Tiger, which has been instrumental in the protection and management of tiger populations across the country.

Historical Context of Project Tiger

• While hunting big game was an ancient practice in India, it was during British rule that the scale of hunting significantly increased. Even after India’s independence, hunting remained widespread among Indian elites and tourists, leading to a drastic decline in the tiger population. The alarming depletion of tigers, exacerbated by rapid deforestation for agricultural expansion, became evident in the 1960s.
• Recognizing the crisis, the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, took a decisive step by banning the export of tiger skins in 1969. The same year, the 10th assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Delhi classified tigers as an endangered species. A resolution was adopted to impose a moratorium on their hunting. Subsequently, a governmental task force was established under the leadership of Karan Singh, chairman of the Indian Board for Wildlife, to devise conservation strategies.
• The recommendations of this task force culminated in the launch of Project Tiger in April 1973, shortly after the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. Initially conceived as a six-year initiative, Project Tiger has since evolved into a long-term conservation program aimed at maintaining a viable tiger population and preserving their natural habitats.

Establishment and Purpose of Tiger Reserves

Project Tiger commenced with the establishment of nine tiger reserves: Manas (Assam), Jim Corbett (Uttarakhand), Kanha (Madhya Pradesh), Palamau (Jharkhand), Ranthambore (Rajasthan), Simlipal (Odisha), Melghat (Maharashtra), Bandipur (Karnataka), and the Sundarbans (West Bengal). These reserves were designated in areas where national parks already existed and received financial support through a centrally sponsored scheme.

Tiger reserves were designed with a dual-zone structure:

·         Core Areas: These zones are strictly protected, prohibiting activities such as tree felling, livestock grazing, and human movement (except for conservation personnel).

·         Buffer Zones: These regions allow limited human activities and are intended to reduce human-wildlife conflict while supporting conservation efforts.

In 2005-06, amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act led to the formation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body overseeing the implementation of Project Tiger and strengthening conservation policies.

Tiger Distribution in India:

According to the latest population estimation (2022-23), India is home to approximately 3,681 tigers (ranging between 3,167 and 3,925 individuals). These tigers occupy an estimated 89,000 square kilometers of forested land, an area comparable to the size of Jordan and larger than Austria. The distribution of tigers in India is categorized into several landscapes:

·         Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains

·         Central Indian Highlands and Eastern Ghats

·         Western Ghats

·         North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Floodplains

·         Sundarbans

Among the notable tiger reserves, Corbett National Park has the highest tiger population (260), followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135), Mudumalai (113), Kanha (105), Kaziranga (104), Sundarbans (100), Tadoba-Andhari (97), Sathyamangalam (85), and Pench (77).

At the state level, Madhya Pradesh leads with 785 tigers, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444).

Challenges in Tiger Conservation:

Despite the success of Project Tiger, conservation efforts face multiple challenges. While 26 reserves have stable tiger populations exceeding 50 individuals, the remaining 27 reserves struggle with low tiger densities. The 2022 report indicated that 16 reserves had either no tigers, only male populations, or fewer than five individuals. These reserves are primarily located in:

·         Arunachal Pradesh

·         Chhattisgarh

·         Jharkhand

·         Maharashtra

·         Telangana

·         Odisha

A particularly concerning trend is observed in Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, where tiger populations have remained static, declined, or even become locally extinct, as seen in the case of Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha.

A study published in Science (2006-2018) highlights several factors contributing to conservation challenges:

·         Poor socio-economic conditions: Many tiger reserves are located in economically disadvantaged regions, where human communities depend on forests for sustenance.

·         Political instability and insurgency: Conflict-ridden areas pose difficulties in implementing conservation policies effectively.

·         Mining and developmental pressures: Infrastructure projects, deforestation, and industrial expansion threaten natural tiger habitats.

·         Human-wildlife conflict: The expansion of human settlements into forested areas increases encounters between tigers and local communities.

·         Limited core habitat availability: The study found that only 25% of tiger habitats are in core areas, while buffer zones constitute 20%, indicating a need for better habitat connectivity.

Global Efforts and India’s Role:

Global Tiger Forum (GTF)

Established in 1994, the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) is the only inter-governmental organization working exclusively for tiger conservation. Headquartered in New Delhi, GTF coordinates conservation policies among 14 tiger range countries to:

• Strengthen legal frameworks for tiger protection.
• Expand and improve protected areas.
• Develop transboundary conservation initiatives.

Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) and Tx2 Program

The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) was launched in 2008 by the World Bank in collaboration with conservation groups and governments. In 2010, leaders of 13 tiger range countries gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia, to adopt the Tx2 goal, which aimed to double the global tiger population by 2022 (base year: 2006). India achieved this target ahead of schedule, reinforcing its role as a leader in tiger conservation.

Conclusion:

The addition of Madhav National Park as India’s 58th tiger reserve marks another step in the country’s ongoing conservation efforts. However, challenges such as habitat fragmentation, human encroachment, and ecological degradation must be addressed to ensure the long-term survival of tigers. Strengthening conservation policies, expanding core habitats, and improving socio-economic conditions in buffer zones are crucial to sustaining India’s tiger population and preserving biodiversity for future generations.