Save Tigers

It’s very sad to know that there are only 1411 tigers left in India and if no proper care is taken, they will extinct soon! Tiger is the Indian National Animal and it’s the high time for every Indian to come forward and save tigers.

 

Every little bit helps. You can speak up about the cause. If you are blogger you can write about the tigers on your blogs.  If we don’t act now, we could lose our heritage.



WWF-India aims for a strategic and focused approach in its tiger conservation& nbsp;efforts. Our goal is to restore, maintain and protect tigers  ;as well as their habitat and prey base in important tiger landscapes in India.

The objectives are to: 
·  Protect, restore corridors to ensure connectivity between tiger habitats while ensuring that human-tiger conflicts are reduced.
·  Reduce pressures on the tiger habitats by promoting alternative livelihoods for local communities in and around tiger habitats.
·  Create incentives for local communities as well as state and regional government and opinion-makers to support tiger conservation.
·  Enhance capacities of the Forest Department to control poaching of tigers and prey species.
·  Provide policy inputs at state and central levels to ensure effective measures for conservation & nb sp;of tigers a nd their habitats.
·  Promote the political will as well as popular support within all sectors of society for tiger conservation.

 

The tiger is not just a charismatic species. It’s not just a wild animal living in some forest either. The tiger is a unique animal which plays a pivotal role in the health and diversity of an ecosystem. It is a top predator and is at the apex of the food chain and keeps the population of wild ungulates in check, thereby maintaining the balance between prey herbivores and the vegetation upon which they feed. Therefore the presence of tigers in the forest is an indicator of the well being of the ecosystem. The extinction of this top predator is an indication that its ecosystem is not sufficiently protected, and neither would it exist for long thereafter.

If the tigers go extinct, the entire system would collapse. For e.g. when the Dodos went extinct in Mauritius, one species of Acacia tree stopped regenerating completely. So when a species goes extinct, it leaves behind a scar, which affects the entire ecosystem. Another reason why we need to save the tiger is that our forests are water catchment areas.

When we protect one tiger, we protect about a 100 sq. km of area and thus save other species living in its habitat. Therefore, it’s not just about saving a beautiful animal. It is about making sure that we live a little longer as the forests are known to provide ecological services like clean air, water, pollination, temperature regulation etc. This way, our planet can still be home to our children.
Spread the word: Go out loud and tell others that tigers ar e dying 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. Reach school going children. WWF can help you in this regard.

Be a responsible tourist: The wilderness is to be experienced and not to be disturbed and polluted. Follow the forest department guidelines when visiting any wilderness area, tiger reserve in particular. As the saying goes ‘Don&rsq uo;t leave anything behind except foot steps, and don’t take anything except memories.’

Write to the policy makers: If you are really concerned and feel that more needs to be done for tiger conservation, then write polite letters to the decision makers - the Prime Minister, the Minister for Environment and Forests or even your local MP.

Informing the nearest police station: If you know of any information on poaching or trade of illegal wildlife. You can also contact TRAFFIC - an organisation fighting the powerful poachers and pass on the information to them.

Reducing pressure on natural resources: By reducing the use of products derived from forests, such as timber and paper.

 

Thanks for reading my Blog.
hope we will save our TIGERS.
Amit Bhasin(SHABD)