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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000114 SIPDIS SIPDIS SECSTATE PASS TO DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/ETC, OES/ENV, AND SCA/INS STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS INTERIOR FOR FRED BAGLEY AND MINI NAGENDRAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PGOV PREL IN 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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 CHENNAI 00000114 002 OF 002 further conservation efforts. Comment -------------- ¶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