Does the tiger deserve to die?
Models: Prachita Chawla, VII E, Manasvita Mohan & Vishruti Jain, VIII A; Artists: Seher Malik, XII B, Kanika Bhatia, XII E & Harpreet Pahwa, XII C; Pix:Shahnawaz, XII-C, AIS Noida
There is no divide that exists between man & animals that we take indiscriminate decisions of killing them. The tigers of the forest don’t need to justify their existence anymore than we do.
Bhuvan Ravindran, X – J, AIS Noida
Our Constitution guarantees us the right to life and the right to freedom. God too guarantees the same to each and every creature on this beautiful planet. But unfortunately, we have amended the latter, providing many rights to ourselves but in the process, leaving the other creatures bereft of the same. Nature did not ordain the world to be inhabited by man alone. His survival is deeply intertwined with the survival of other creatures and particularly the tiger who stands at the top of the food chain.The tiger population that stood at 100000 at the turn of the 20th century has now reduced to 3200 with around 1411 in India. People frequently ask me, “Why on earth do you ask us to save the Tigers? We don’t kill them!”
We need to understand that those who kill them, will not save them. Also, all of us do contribute towards the destruction of their habitat by way of deforestation.
Project Tiger was very successful in the first 2 decades after its initiation in the 70’s. However, Tiger population began to dwindle both in Sariska Tiger Reserve as well as in Corbett since 1998. This means something is definitely wrong. But what?
Says Dr. Ullas Karanath, Director, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, “Increasing complacency among people and political leaders was one of the main reasons. The surge of urgency at the political front had somewhat waned. Also, the unscientific monitoring of the Tiger population by the Pugmark Census Technique [PCT] is extremely unreliable. In India, we have recorded a 20% over-estimation rate in Tiger population. Lack of Forest Guards and sincere leadership at the field is also of major concern.” But just analysing the problem is not enough. Urgent and committed action is required if we are to save the tiger. You might ask what can one do to really save our Tigers? To begin with, we can minimize the use of goods derived from forest produce. Also discourage others from using medicines made from parts of the tiger. Whenever you happen to visit a wildlife sanctuary, do not litter as it is the home of many animals including the tiger. Report any suspected case of wildlife trafficking to the nearest police station. Help in policy making by writing to policy makers and by donating to NGOs like WWF.
With NGOs like WWF that work in close collaboration with the government, we could ensure that the Tigers can breathe easy a little longer. WWF has been the right hand of the Government in saving the tiger. This NGO is in the process of educating the members of the Pardis tribe, who are entirely dependent on hunting for a livelihood. It has provided necessary equipment to various tiger reserves in India and has played a pivotal role in the Global Tiger Forum. Owing to successful conservation methods, Kaziranga now has the largest density of tigers in the World. Jairam Ramesh, the Union Environment Minister has stepped in to save the tigers of Pench. Success stories like that of a tiger giving birth to three cubs in the forest of Panna is a heartening example of conservation. But a lot more needs to be done.
We students can contribute our bit to strengthen tiger conversation efforts. A major part of our population is totally ignorant about tigers. Hence spreading awareness among people through articles in the newspapers and volunteering for conservation projects is the first step. The message could be spread when in social gatherings, chatting with friends, delivering lectures in the class, organizing street plays, etc. But for all this the student himself must possess the knowledge required before preaching apart from being dedicated to the cause.
There is no divide that exists between man and animals that we take indiscriminate decisions of killing them. The denizens of the forest don’t need to justify their existence anymore than we do. Do we ever think about the fact whether we are going to live the next day or not? So why should they? The tiger needs your help. Join hands and save it before it is too late. Think about the time when they will be extinct. It is then that we will regret not having saved them. IT IS NOW OR NEVER!
