We are finally beginning to see tiger populations rise and if this continues these amazing animals might actually be around in the future. India’s tiger census shows that the population of tigers in the wild in India has grown at least 33 percent over the past four years. For those who do not know, India accounts for about 80 percent of the world’s ‘wild tigers’ and while there is less than 3000 present in the wild there, these numbers going up is a wonderful sign.
According to Prime Minister Modi, India is one of the safest habitats for tigers in the world now but notes that humans still remain a serious threat to the tigers who are willing to get ‘too close’ to villages. While this increase in numbers comes with cheer, it also holds some interesting and concerning thoughts as well.
Neha Sinha a wildlife conservationist told The Guardian that while it seems these tigers are breeding in protected areas they may not be able to disperse safely and find territories to call their own. From there a lot of tension could rise and their population stability, in general, might not end up as it should be. With habitats being inched further and further back by humans, we are not sure what the future could hold.
Sinha noted as follows when speaking to The Guardian:
“Every adult tiger needs to create his or her own territory, and this territory is sometimes almost 200 sq km, so they need quite a bit of space.”
“If you want our numbers to be stable then tigers need to disperse.”
“The burden of tiger conservation should not lie on the poorest.”
The number of protected areas in regards to tigers has been rising throughout the years and since 2014 has gone from 692 to 860 but more still needs to be done. With less than 4000 tigers present in the wild across the globe, we are seeing record lows and should be working much harder to turn things around. The tiger is and always has been a unique and fascinating animal.
On a small scale, we can all help these animals by working to bring awareness to this issue in itself, perhaps through education, we can work to be more responsible in general. You would be surprised how many people in this world who are unaware of the real numbers that come with the population of these magical cats. Discuss more and really work to understand better for not just yourself but for others as well.
The presence of tigers where they are native is a very important one, and they work to keep the population of wild ungulates in check as well as bring forth balance within their ecosystems. Without these majestic creatures, a lot of things would collapse as a result. They play a huge role in this world and should not be allowed to waste away.
To learn more on tiger conservation itself and why we should work to protect these beauties please feel free to check out the video below. What do you think about all of this? I for one am excited to see such an increase in such a small amount of time.