INDIAN TIGERS RETURN TO SARISKA AMIDST CONTROVERSY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002036

SENSITIVE
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STATE FOR OES/FO, OES/PCI, OES/ENRC, 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 IN
SUBJECT: INDIAN TIGERS RETURN TO SARISKA AMIDST CONTROVERSY

REF A: 05 New Delhi 4673
REF B: 07 New Delhi 5322

NEW DELHI 00002036 001.2 OF 002



1. (U) SUMMARY: As of July 2008, Sariska Tiger Reserve, the only
designated tiger reserve in India to lose its entire population of
tigers to poachers (Ref A),once again has wild tigers roaming its
environs. In an unprecedented and well coordinated operation
initiated by the Rajasthan Forest Department involving the National
Tiger Conservation Authority of the Ministry of Environment and
Forests, senior scientists and veterinarians from the Wildlife
Institute of India, the Indian AIR Force, and the NGOs Wildlife
Protection Society of India (WPSI) and WWF-India, two tigers were
relocated from Ranthambore National Park to Sariska via Indian AIR
Force helicopter - despite controversy over the timing and lack of
reforms in the tigers' new home. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The first tiger to make the 30 minute flight was a young
male followed six days later by a young female. After spending a
few days in a heavily guarded one hectare enclosure, both tigers
have now been released into the wild. The tigers are fitted with a
combination satellite/radio collar and both have made kills on their
own. Emboffs discussed the operation with the major players
involved and learned that while the controversial relocation itself
was a success, very few of the problems that lead to the original
tigers demise have been resolved.

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TIGER AS POLITICAL PAWN
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3. (U) The plan to relocate tigers from Ranthambore to Sariska had
been discussed in governmental and NGO circles for over two years
with leading conservationists expressing strong reservations against
the relocation until the existing problems in Sariska had been
resolved. Sariska has two major State highways passing through it,
a temple that receives over 200,000 pilgrims each year, and three
villages located inside the reserve. All of these factors
negatively impact the tigers' habitat and to date, none of them have
been resolved. (NOTE: A fourth village was moved outside the park
prior to the reintroduction. END NOTE) In addition, Sariska has
marble and dolomite mines surrounding it, many or which operate
illegally, as well as a strong mining lobby which has been pushing
to de-notify the park as a tiger reserve in order to open it up to
legal mining operations.


4. (SBU) Belinda Wright, the high-profile Executive Director of
WPSI, had long been opposed to relocating tigers to Sariska until
the problems had been resolved but recently changed her position and
came out publicly in favor of the relocation. In a conversation
with EmbOffs, Ms. Wright, who was present at Ranthambore when the
tigers were airlifted to Sariska and who played a role in the
selection of which tigers to relocate, stated that after speaking to
park officials, she was convinced that the time was "politically"
right to move ahead with the relocation. She said that the loss of
tigers in Sariska was a tremendous loss of face for the Rajasthan
government led by BJP Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and that the
tigers had to be reintroduced before upcoming elections in November.
Ms. Wright said she was convinced that if tigers were not relocated
to Sariska during Raje's tenure, political will for the relocation
would evaporate.


5. (U) Ms. Wright acknowledged that Sariska continues to face the
same problems that existed earlier and stated it was unlikely that
the highways would get rerouted or the temple closed. She did note
one village had been relocated and efforts are underway to relocate
the other three villages. Her main point however was the fact that
tigers existed in Sariska even with the temple and highways and that
they had been wiped out by poaching which was allowed to occur due
to apathy on the part of park officials who did not provide adequate
protection or monitoring. Apathy, she continued, was no longer a
problem at Sariska and noted that careers were on the line with the
reintroduction. She concluded by stating that park officials "will
be finished if it does not succeed."


6. (SBU) EmbOffs also met with WWF-India Secretary General Ravi
Singh who was present in Sariska and met the helicopter when the
first tiger was relocated. When pressed regarding the timing of the
relocations, he stated that pressure from the mining lobby against
the reintroduction had been mounting and that if the relocation had
not taken place when it did, the park would be taken over by the
mining mafia. Ms. Wright had also addressed the mining issue and
stated the lobby had paid a local politician to stir up anti-tiger
sentiments in the villages around the park. Mr. Singh went on to
say that any relocation is fraught with risk and that there will

NEW DELHI 00002036 002.2 OF 002


never be a perfect time for reintroduction. He said "one just has
to take the leap" and that the presence of tigers will give the
necessary impetus to resolve the longstanding issues in Sariska.

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THE FUTURE OF TIGERS IN SARISKA
--------------


7. (U) The two tigers reintroduced into Sariska are currently well
protected. Ex-paramilitary forces are deployed in the park along
with regular forest guards, and patrolling has increased. In
addition, the satellite collars allow for daily, although not
continuous, tracking of the tigers depending on satellite coverage
over the park. EmbOffs also received conflicting reports of the
presence of 250 armed Rajasthani constabulary protecting the two
tigers. In a telephone conversation with EmbOffs, the Rajasthan
Forest Department's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. R.N.
Mehrotra, was upbeat about the safety of the tigers and hoped they
would soon mate. He also said he had been deluged with requests
from around the world to view the tigers but was maintaining a
moratorium on tourists until October 1, 2008. In addition, Mr.
Mehrotra confirmed plans to relocate three more tigers to Sariska
from Ranthambore, two females and a male, within the next year. He
concluded the conversation by once again thanking EmbOffs for the
Embassy's November 2007 Wildlife Crime Workshop in which Embassy
funds supported the training of both Ranthambore and Sariska forest
guards (Ref B). He also stated the Rajasthan Forest Department
welcomed further U.S. collaboration on tiger and other wildlife
conservation issues and would be willing to consider any
conservation proposals the U.S. may have.


8. (SBU) Ravi Singh however was a bit more skeptical regarding the
future stating the female tiger had had trouble adjusting to its new
environs; an observation shared by Belinda Wright who noted the
tigress had shown signs of restlessness, and while in its enclosure
had not made any attempts to kill prey. This behavior contrasts
with that of the male tiger which quickly adapted to its new home.
However, Mr. Mehrotra stated officials tracking the tigers after
their release from the enclosure confirmed that both had made kills
and that the male was exploring territory. Mr. Singh expressed
reservations whether the tigers will breed this year, mainly due to
the age of the female tiger which, in his opinion, was too young.
This sentiment was not shared by Ms. Wright or Mr. Mehrotra.


9. (U) Conservationists agree that no conservation or relocation
plan can be successful without the support of the local communities
and villagers in and around Sariska have had mixed opinions. A
villager living near Sariska told Ms. Wright she was happy to see
tigers come back as criminal elements had increased since Sariska's
tigers disappeared. A villager living inside the park told Ravi
Singh she welcomed the tigers return as they helped to thin out weak
and diseased cattle in her family's herds. However, many villagers
have not been wholly welcoming of the new tigers or the reforms
needed to protect them. Media reports indicate villagers have been
protesting the idea of banning heavy vehicles on the state highways
in the park and are completely unwilling to use a longer diversion
road for the sake of the tiger. They also will not tolerate any
regulation of pilgrim traffic to the park's temple. In addition,
there is concern the mining lobby will once again support poaching.



10. (SBU) COMMENT: While it was clear to EmbOffs that the
relocation was a well planned and executed operation, there is no
doubt the parties concerned, both governmental and non-governmental,
were not wholly confident of success. Despite the fact this
relocation was unprecedented, of worldwide interest, and highly
dramatic - the male tiger woke up in flight and the helicopter sank
into the mud in Sariska when it landed, no film crews were allowed
during the operation and no films of any kind were made. In
addition, Rajasthan is using these two tigers in the same role as a
staked goat hoping the tigers presence will FORCE the reforms needed
to protect them. Although Rajasthan and the NGOs have made great
strides in tiger conservation in Ranthambore, which now has more
tigers than its carrying capacity, they have put the cart before the
horse in Sariska and if they fail, it will not only mean the end of
government careers as Ms. Wright stated, but NGO reputations as
well.

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