GEOGRAPHY BOARD WILDLIFE CONSERVATION- WHAT IS IT?

Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure that nature will be around for future generations to enjoy, and to recognize the importance of wildlife and wilderness lands to humans. Wildlife conservationists work all over the world to identify species, which are in need of assistance, and to protect them WILIFE CONSERVATION- WHY THE NEED? The need for wildlife conservation is due to the threats to animals; these causes are either natural or due to man, which can be categorized as:

Habitat loss: Fewer natural wildlife habitat areas remain each year Unregulated Hunting and Illegal hunting/poaching: Unregulated hunting and poaching causes a major threat to wildlife. Natural phenomena: Floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, lightning, forest fires. Pollution Over-exploitation of resources: Exploitation for food e.g. over-fishing Accidental deaths: Car hits, collisions with ships (whales)

As members of the ecosystem die out, the ecosystem is weakened. The number of humans in the world is increasing at an incredible rate, with no sign of slowing down. More people mean more resources are taken away from the weakened environment. We are part of the environment. The things we do affect the environment, and the things that happen to it affect us. By destroying the environment, we are destroying ourselves. IUCN RED LIST- WHAT IS IT? The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) publishes the IUCN Red List, which rates species according to their vulnerability EXTINCT: the end of an organism or of a group of organisms EXTINCT IN THE WILD: the only known living members are being kept in captivity CRITICALLY ENDANGERED: a species whose numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations (HIGHEST RISK CATEGORY) ENDANGERED: a population of animals, which are at risk of becoming extinct VULNERABLE SPECIES: likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve. NEAR THREATENED: species that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future LEAST CONCERN: species which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category..

Some animals have been pulled from the brink of extension due to timely wildlife conservation efforts by the government and various individuals, NGOs. Some such animals areINDIAN RHINO: Better known as the One Horned Rhino now thrives in the eastern part of India (Kaziranga NP, Dudhwa NP). Effective funding in order to upgrade defense from the traditional lathi to guns and shoot at sight orders for any man found loitering inside protected areas has ensured the survival of this species. ASIATIC LIONS: The Last 300 in the world survive in the Kathiawar Peninsula area of Gujrat also known as the Gir Forest. This species was saved due to action by the Nawab of Junagadh and the Government. Some other species however, have not been as fortunate: ASIATIC CHEETAH: The cheetah played they role of the predator AND the prey back in the days. Used as a hunting aid for decades by various maharajas, the cheetah was also hunted notoriously for sport. The last three Asiatic Cheetahs recorded from India were shot down for sport.

WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT OF INDIA The Wild Life (Protection) Act of India, 1972, states killing an endangered animal is punishable with a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison and a fine of over Rs.10000. Anybody who tries to encroach the habitat of such an animal faces a similar penalty. However, few people are caught and even fewer are convicted. This has led to the current grave situation of Indias national animal, the Tiger. This project has been dedicated to the studies of Indias national animal. Due to its endangered status it is receiving lots of attention and aid. This however may not prove to be sufficient unless some drastic measures are taken in the near future.

TIGER CHARACTERISTICS Nobody can say for sure just how many tigers lived in these forests a hundred or two hundred years ago, but hunting records reveal that between 1875 and 1925: 80,000 tigers were killed by people. Today, fewer than 3,200 remain. HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION Tigers are widely distributed from the alpine Himalayas to the rain forests of southern Western Ghats and from the dry forests of Rajasthan to the moist forests of northeast India. Mark On A Map. MAIN PROBLEMS With growing population, tiger habitats were destroyed on a massive scale to settle people and bring more land under cultivation. Tigers were also

considered as pests and bounty hunted. They were shot, snared and poisoned. Thousands were also slaughtered in the name of sport during the British Raj. Today they are confined to wildlife reserves, where they are under various kinds of pressures. The death of a single tiger has much more impact than the loss of one individual might imply. If the tiger that was killed was a female with cubs, her cubs will likely die without their mother and the female's potential for future breeding is lost. If a male is killed, his death can result in intensive competition for his territory among surviving males in the population Here are four fundamental reasons why the status of tigers is so precarious today: a. The insatiable demand for tiger skins, bones and organs primarily from China in traditional Chinese medicines is fueling poaching by organized and well-networked criminal gangs. b. Over the past few decades, tiger habitat has been extensively destroyed by human activities mainly clearing of forests for agriculture or the timber trade and development activities such as the building of road networks. Such habitat loss has forced tigers into small, scattered islands of remaining habitat. Tigers need large territories, so reduced habitat means that fewer tigers can survive in the wild. As the human population grows, we are encroaching further into tiger habitat causing increased competition between tigers and people over living space and food. Villagers living inside reserves hunt animals like deer and wild pigs for subsistence and sale. A depleted prey base means that tigers will often attack livestock to feed themselves and the villagers kill them to take retaliatory measures to protect their livestock.

c. Tigers in captivity in the US fuel demand for live animals; an estimated numbers of 5000 are bred in captivity, being used in shows and even as private pets. Tiger farms in China breed and bring up tigers in captivity. Some countries allow the breeding of captive tigers on a commercial scale in order to meet the growing demand of tiger parts in the black market. d. The abysmally low level of protection in most of our protected areas, which allows poachers to have a free run. India has some of the strongest wildlife laws but extremely poor enforcement. Most of our reserves are understaffed, and manned by ageing, under equipped and poorly trained frontline staff CONSIDER THIS: You could be a poacher, kill a tiger and sell it in black; it brings you Rs 30 lakh overnight. Or you could be a forest guard and risk your life day and night to save the tiger from being poached. You could do that 30 years and still not make nine thousand a month SKINNING THE CAT

POACHING METHODS Poachers use one of the following methods to kill a wild tiger: Poison - placed in the carcasses of domestic buffaloes and cows or even small forest pools. Steel Traps - made by nomadic blacksmiths. Firearms - are used where hunting can be carried out with little hindrance. Electrocution - by laying a live wire on animal tracts WHOS RESPONSIBLE CONSUMERS OF TIGER PRODUCTS: A growing and wealthier -mostly Asian populace that actively purchase tiger products for their purported healing powers and as status symbols. POACHERS / CRIME SYNDICATES: The ruthless and well-organized crime syndicates that fuel the poaching of wild tigers and selling of their parts. TIGER FARM OPERATORS: The commercial breeders of captive tigers who raise tigers for their parts and who are fueling demand for tiger products. GOVERNMENTS: Governments that fail to uphold laws against illegal trafficking of tigers and other species CONSUMERS WORLDWIDE: Everyday citizens who unknowingly purchase a wide variety of paper, timber, palm oil and coffee products provided by corporations who do not use natural resources sustainably. WHY SAVE THE TIGER There are not one, but many reasons to save the tiger from extinction: a. National Pride: What kind of message will we send to the world if we cannot even save our National Animal from extinction? b. Preserving natures balance: By taking steps to save the tiger we also save all the lesser species, which share its habitat are vital for maintaining the balance of nature. c. Ensuring our ecological security: The tiger plays a vital role in saving the forests of India. With the top predator absent in many national reserves, the herbivore population will increase, this will result in overgrazing causing the vegetation to perish, which in turn would cause the rivers to stop flowing through the particular region. Thus, saving the tiger plays a critical role in saving the rivers and saving the forest. PROJECT TIGER In the late 1960s, Guy Montfort, an English conservationist and founder of The World Wildlife Nature Fund convinced Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the status of the tiger was so precarious in India that urgent steps had to be taken to pull

it back from the brink of extinction. Montfort raised one million pounds in the UK and donated it to India for setting up and managing tiger reserves. In response, tiger hunting was banned in 1970 and the Project Tiger introduced in 1973. At that it was estimated that there were only about 1800 tigers left in India. Initially, 9 Tiger Reserves were created under Project Tiger. Later, in 1980 the Forest conservation Act was introduced Project Tiger was extremely effective in its first two decades. The Central Government provided funding for protection salaries to field staff, patrolling vehicles, boats, firearms and wireless equipment and for the construction of antipoaching camps. There are several reasons why the incredible initial success of Project Tiger began to fade in many reserves. Complacency: After the initial success the enthusiasm to keep the project alive faded Unscientific monitoring: a scientifically unreliable method called the pugmark census technique (involving tracing the footprints of tigers for estimating the tiger population) gives bogus numbers of tiger population Denial: In the early 90s overwhelming evidence of organized tiger poaching began to emerge but the Government agencies went into denial mode. Lack of political will: large swathes of forest have been given over for mining causing deforestation and man animal conflict

WILDIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA WPSI was founded by Belinda Wright. From its inception, WPSI's main aim has been to bring a new focus to the daunting task of tackling India's growing wildlife crisis. It does this by providing support and information to government authorities to combat poaching and the escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers. Their Wildlife Crime Database is the most comprehensive in India. It is constantly analyzed and updated. They have pioneered investigations into the trade in tiger parts and other endangered species valued in the illegal wildlife trade, and exposed widespread tiger poaching.

ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY Environmentalists Dave Currey, Jennifer Lonsdale and Allan Thornton formed EIA in 1984. EIA went from strength to strength as it pioneered a new kind of activism, using undercover investigations with hidden filming, false front companies and detective work to expose environmental crimes and abuses of the natural world. EIA has played a major role in closure of 53 illegal mines destroying tiger habitat in India. It has also helped nab some big time poaching kingpins.

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The worlds leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 5 million members globally. It has played perhaps the most vital role in saving the tiger, by spreading mass awareness.

KIDS FOR TIGERS Kids for Tigers was launched by Sanctuary Asia magazine in the year 2000 as an environmental education programme for schools across India. Kids for Tigers seeks to increase awareness among children about India's biodiversity and sensitize them to the fact that saving tigers and their forests will also secure our water supply and help save ourselves. HEROES BITTU SAHGAL He is an Environmental activist and writer, is the founding editor of Sanctuary Asia, India's premier wildlife and ecology magazine. He is a member of the National Board for Wildlife of the Ministry of Environment and Forest. VALMIK THAPAR He is an Indian natural historian and foremost among Tiger conservationists He is the author of 14 books and several articles, and has produced a range of programmes for television. Today is as one of India's most respected wildlife experts FATEH SINGH RATHORE Fateh Singh Rathore was India's best-known tiger conservationist. Fateh Singh joined the Indian Forest Service in 1960 and was part of the first Project Tiger team. He was widely acknowledged as the tiger guru for his legendary knowledge of the big cat. He worked over 50 years in wildlife conservation

HOW TO SAVE THE TIGER 1. END DEMAND FOR TIGER PARTS o Inform and move consumers of tiger products to change their habits. 2. STOP THE BLEEDING o Ramp up anti-poaching measures. o Maintain and enforce laws banning tiger products. o Restrict and monitor tigers in captivity across the globe. 3. PROTECT TIGER HABITAT: o Protect existing parklands, establish new protected areas for tigers and create corridors that connect parklands and allow tigers to roam to find adequate prey and mates for breeding.. 4. REDUCE HUMAN-TIGER CONFLICT

Provide innovative solutions and educational programs to reduce conflict between tigers and local communities. 5. INCREASE POLITICAL WILL, FUNDING AND COMMITMENT
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HOW CAN WE HELP? Even if a small fraction of the millions of well-meaning people in the world decide to actually do something, it could make a huge difference. Spread the word: Tell others that the tiger and its habitat are under threat and that they need our help. You can form forums (or join existing ones) on the web for discussions and exchange views on tiger conservation Be a responsible tourist: Follow the forest department guidelines when visiting any wilderness area, tiger reserve in particular. Voice concerns with the policy makers: write polite letters to the decision makers - the Prime Minister, the Minister for Environment and Forests or even your local MP. Help prevent wildlife trade: Say NO to tiger trade by refusing to buy tiger parts and items prepared from tiger derivatives Reducing pressure on natural resources: reduce the use of products derived from forests, such as timber and paper. BIBLIOGRAPHY Most of it is from experience The following books have been used: Encyclopedia of Animals There are references from the documentary Truth About Tigers The following websites have been used http://www.wwfindia.org http://www.tigersincrisis.com http://www.panthera.org/ http://wikipedia.com http://www.wpsi-india.org/wpsi/index.php http://www.saveourtigers.com/