Census claims big rise in tiger tally
Radha Venkatesan, TNN | Mar 29, 2011, 02.50am IST

COIMBATORE: The big cats are making big strides in Tamil Nadu. At least 163 tigers are on the prowl in the jungles of Tamil Nadua more than 100% increase in the tiger population in the last four years.

In 2006, just 76 tigers were counted in Tamil Nadu. But the 2010 tiger census, which was released in New Delhi on Monday, showed that the population of tigers in the state has soared to 163.

"A minimum of 153 tigers and a maximum of 187 tigers could be roaming the forests of Tamil Nadu. But the medium estimate is that at least 163 tigers are living in Tamil Nadu jungles. This is a phenomenal increase in tiger population. Our conservation efforts have paid off," chief conservator of forests R Sundararaju told TOI. The most heartening tale in tiger conservation comes from Mudumalai and the adjoining forests stretching up to Sathyamangalam.

In Mudumalai Tiger reserve alone, camera traps had captured at least 39 tigers. And in all, at least a 100 tigers are estimated to be prowling the contiguous forests of Mudumalai Tiger reserve, Sigur plateau, Nilgiris, Moyyar valley and Sathyamanglam forests in western Tamil Nadu. "The Mudumalai-Moyyar belt has emerged as the key tiger habitat of Tamil Nadu,"says the forest official.

For the first time in tiger census history, cameras were placed in 100 places in Mudumalai and adjoining jungles to get visual evidence of the presence of the big cats.

"We have launched several initiatives from patrolling on elephants to involving the tribals in conservation," says Mudumalai Tiger Reserve field director, Dr Rajiv Srivatsava.

However, tiger experts in the country are sceptical about the tiger census figures and caution against complacency in tiger conservation. They argue that the census was carried out this time in new areas like the Sathyamangalam and Sigur plateau thus potentially providing a boost to the tiger figures. In the 2006 census, the camera traps were placed and pug marks of tigers were lifted only in the tiger reserves of Mudumalai and Anamalai tiger reserve in western Tamil Nadu and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai in southern Tamil Nadu.

"There is no need for complacency in tiger conservation...For we do not know how scientific these data are," K Ullas Karanth, a tiger expert and director of Centre for Wildlife Studies.

The census has shown a 16% increase in tiger population in the country. "The census has shown an increase of 16% compounded over 4 years, suggesting that the previous decline has been reversed...Since various threats faced by tigers do not appear to have diminished in the last four years, it is difficult to explain the claimed reversal of the decline of tigers," says Dr Karanth.

However, wildlife conservationists in Tamil Nadu agree that the tiger habitats are increasing and that the tiger population is "holding if not drastically increasing".

The World Wide Fund has spotted 51 tigers in the Sathyamangalam-Moyyar-Sigur belt in the camera traps.

Increase in tiger population should lead to stepped-up vigil in conservation, say wildlife activists. For the presence of considerable number of tigers could draw poachers to the western forest fringes of Tamil Nadu.

"In Western Tamil Nadu alone, 120 tigers are said to be on the prowl. Unless we increase the patrolling and keep the poachers away, we cannot save these big cats," says K Kalidasan of OSAI, a wildlife NGO based in Coimbatore.
Note that we've revamped the WildAid Tiger Champion slightly this year so it includes all endangered wild animals that WildAid seeks to protect, not just tigers.