The report of an increase in the number of Royal Bengal tigers in India is very promising and an achievement that will set us apart from other tiger-range countries (“ >Giant leap for big cat ,” Jan.21). This dedication to conservation should also be replicated in protecting other and lesser known species like the great Indian bustard and the snow leopard which are battling the odds to survive. The good news marks the impact of political will, science and field efforts coming together in helping save a species despite the pressures of a growing human population.
Geethu Issac,
Navi Mumbai
Amid all this good news, one must not forget that tiger conservation is inextricably linked to the foresight and vision of Indira Gandhi who provided steadfast guidance to conservation in India. In fact, one now laments the lack of political interest in wildlife conservation. The government must take steps to restore the tiger emblem in all the denominations of currency to mark this happy hour .
Dammalapati Shyamprasad,
Guntur
Measures such as the setting up of a special tiger protection force and community participation are what have helped in the effective management of tiger reserves. However, the increased possibility of man-animal conflicts needs to be tackled by facilitating tiger movement between forests.
Amala S. Maheswari,
Kozhikode
I am afraid this is only going to encourage poachers to step up their activities. The fact is that forest departments across India are understaffed and lack the teeth to take on smuggling and poaching gangs. The government needs to be vigilant against such elements. I also wish that the government uses this occasion to reintroduce the cheetah which once roamed the plains of India.
S. Ranganathan Iyengar,
Chennai
The news should not lull conservationists into a state of complacency. The tiger may be gradually winning the battle for survival but it should not hide the plight of the leopard, a smaller cat which also shares the habitat of the tiger in many parts of India. Leopards enjoy protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 as they are listed in Schedule I of the Act. Permission to kill them is given only when they turn man-eaters. But even then, they get killed in significant numbers. In Madhya Pradesh, for instance, human-leopard conflict led to 140 recorded leopard deaths between 2008 and 2013. At this rate, there won’t be any leopards left in central India. The media too is to blame for spreading fear and panic about the leopard. What is needed is a holistic approach to wildlife conservation in India with stiff penalties and sentencing in the case of all offences.
Annabel Wright,
Mysuru
