SOUTH INDIA'S TIGERS ARE HANGING ON, BUT STILL IN DANGER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000114

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SUBJECT: SOUTH INDIA'S TIGERS ARE HANGING ON, BUT STILL IN DANGER

REF: NEW DELHI 614


1. Summary: The number of tigers in South India dropped by about 30
percent in the last four years and the animals disappeared from 17
percent of the districts they previously inhabited, according to the
Tiger Census Report (TCR) released in February by the central
government's Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF). Earlier
estimates of tiger numbers across India were inflated, however, so
the actual decrease in the tiger population may not be as dramatic
as the raw numbers suggest (reftel). The decrease in the South is
nonetheless not as drastic as the national figure, which fell by
over half, and the narrative portion of the TCR indicates that South
India's tigers may indeed be doing better than elsewhere in India.
Even in the South, however, the animals face serious threats from
poachers and loss of habitat. Tiger-centric tourism is helping the
South's tigers, but conservation efforts face an uphill struggle to
ensure that South India's Great Cats remain on the prowl. End
Summary.

The numbers
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2. The TCR revealed that there are around 507 tigers in South India,
217 fewer than the 2002 estimate. As is the case with national
statistics, part of this decrease can be attributed to less precise
earlier estimates. Continued poaching and anthropogenic pressure
also are factors. However, the South's numbers did not fall at the
rate of the national figures (reftel) and Tamil Nadu's tiger
population actually recorded an increase from approximately 60 in
2002 to 76 currently. According to the TCR, the tigers in
Nagarhole-Bandipur tiger reserve, in neighboring Karnataka, are part
of the single largest population in India and are a source of
genetic diversification for populations in neighboring forests. The
interstate management of the reserve helped establish a tiger
population with a good chance of long-term persistence, according to
the TCR. (Note: The complete TCR can be found online at:
www.wii.gov.in/publications/statusof_tigers20 08.pdf. End note.)

Project Tiger's strategy in Karnataka
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3. A field director with the MOEF Project Tiger mission told us that
the relative strength of Karnataka's tiger population stems from an
increase in tourism, forest conservation, and engagement with the
communities who live in the immediate forest areas surrounding the
tigers' habitat. He also noted that the state's focus on
conservation and tourism helped the government control poaching in
the Nagarhole and Bandipur National Parks in the southern part of
the state, adding that the state's distance from Nepal's black
markets in endangered species reduced incentives for poachers to
operate in Karnataka. (He noted, however, that illegal items liked
poached ivory often heads to the Middle East directly from ports in
the neighboring state of Kerala.) He added that the Project Tiger
mission works with local inhabitants to curb access to firearms and
limit the types of game the communities are allowed to hunt. Under
these restrictions, he said, these communities are permitted to hunt
small game like boar, rabbit, and porcupine, which are a marginal
portion of the tigers' prey.

Poachers, policies, and genetics take a toll
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4. While poaching may be less problematic in South India, it still
poses a threat. Both the owner of a resort in Nagarhole National
Park and Bangalore's Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Police told us that
poaching continues in Karnataka. The DC told us that poaching in
Karnataka is concentrated in the state's Charmarajar district, which
contains the Bandipur National park. The DC said two tiger skins
were recently recovered from a poacher who confessed to selling one
to an agent in Karnataka. He added that inadequate compensation for
farmers who lose their cattle to tigers sometimes lessens local
communities' amenability to aid in conservation efforts.


5. Not everyone agrees with all of Project Tiger's strategies. A
scientist at the Center for Ecological Sciences in Bangalore told
us, for example, that the Tiger Project's allowance for small game
hunting is a threat to the tiger population in the long run because
these smaller animals are a mainstay of a tiger's diet during
droughts.


6. The same scientist told us that Karnataka's tigers continue to
breed actively (the resort owner told us that at least two pairs of
cubs were born in Nagarhole Park in the last two years),but that
even this ostensibly positive sign posed potential long-term risks.
He said that the tigers' relatively small population could lead to
inbreeding, which will further stress the health and stability of
the population. He added that a study on the genetic profile of the
animals is long overdue and should be considered an imperative for

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further conservation efforts.

Comment
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7. Man-made threats will continue to pressure South India's tiger
population, but the big cats seem likely to hold their own, at least
for a while. Tiger tourism is becoming increasingly popular, which
can be helpful, but is no panacea. Government policies, sometimes
controversial and often imperfectly implemented, also seem headed in
the right direction. The fact remains, however, that the South's
tiger population remains under threat and the TCR warns that even
the successful Nagarhole-Bandipur tiger reserve area needs further
protection -- including the restoration of prey and its habitat --
to support the growth of tiger populations.


8. This message was coordinated with Embassy New Delhi.

HOPPER