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1. Welcome Guest………… ….Created By: Saurabh Patel

2. Conservation of Tigers is needed

3. CONDITIONS OF TIGERS IN INDIAINDIA’S tiger habitats may be shrinking but its tiger population has increased, claims the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). On March 28, the ministry announced 295 tigers have been added to the previous estimate—the 2006 count had estimated 1,411 tigers in the wild, spurring corporate-sponsored save-the-tiger campaigns revolving around the number.The latest census, conducted between December 2009 and December 2010, says the tiger population now is 1,706; the figure is not an actual head count but an estimate. Some conservationists are sceptical about the dramatic increase. MoEF officials claim the tigers have increased because of conservation efforts, new areas being surveyed and improved counting system. The latest survey used a double sampling process, says Y Jhala, senior scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India, who coordinated the census study. Field information about tiger signs, prey availability, habitat conditions and threat from human disturbances were collected by forest patrol units (see ‘Cat count’, Down To Earth, April 15, 1998). In addition to this, the camera-trap method was used in select sample areas covering 10,500 sq km or 14.4 per cent of the total area of 72,800 sq km .

4. A century ago there were 100,000 tigers roaming the forests, swamps, and tundra of Asia. Today, there are as few as 3,200 left in the wild. Only 7% of historic tiger habitat still contains tigers. At this rate, wild tigers will be extinct in just a few decades. <NEXT>

5. Illegal TradeConsumer demand for tiger parts poses the largest threat to tiger survival. Tigers are being hunted to extinction by poachers for their skins, bones, teeth and claws, which are highly valued for their use in traditional Asian medicine (TAM), various folk remedies and various products. The wildlife trade network, TRAFFIC, found that for the past two years, the smuggled parts from at least 200 tigers have been confiscated per year by law enforcement in Asia. In the past 10 years, over 1000 tigers have been killed to traffic their parts to meet consumer demand in Asia. <NEXT>

6. DemandTiger bones have been used in TAM for a wide variety of ailments for more than 1,000 years. In 1993 the Chinese government banned the trade and use of tiger parts, but cultural belief in the power of tiger parts remains. Parts from a single tiger can fetch as much as $50,000 on the black market, making the poaching of these magnificent creatures very alluring to criminal networks.Claws, teeth and whiskers are believed to provide good luck and protective powers. And tiger skins and tiger bone wine are valued as status symbols.<NEXT>

7. Why Should You Care About Tigers?HEALTHY TIGER POPULATIONS = HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMSWhen animals at the top and the bottom of the food chain start to decline it’s a clear sign that the entire ecosystem is in trouble.These ecosystems supply both nature and people with fresh water, food, and many other vital services – which means by saving the tiger, we are saving people too. Tigers survive in some of the last great forests of Asia, which are critical not only for their biodiversity but also as stores of carbon that would end up released into the atmosphere if these forests were cut down. By protecting tiger habitat, we help mitigate climate change. <NEXT>

8. A HOME FOR TIGERS = A HOME FOR OTHERSLarge predators like tigers are an “umbrella species” and protecting them benefits hundreds of other species, including other endangered creatures that share tiger habitat and form biodiversity, a keystone to keeping our planet healthy. Tigers can directly help some of the planet’s poorest communities. Where tigers are accessible, tourism increases and supports the local economy. Tiger conservation projects also help provide alternative livelihoods for rural communities that are sustainable and raise income levels.

9. Tigers In the News1.Greens, Cops, Forest Dept Join Hands to Check Poaching Feb 5With the recent arrests of poachers and the recovery of tiger pelts, police, forest department officials and wildlife enthusiasts are working together to curb poaching in tiger reserves and sanctuaries.2.‘Hejje’, mobile application for tracking tigers launched Feb 5Tiger-tracking and wildlife conservation have a new mobile application for vigorous monitoring and better coordination of anti-poaching camp personnel at Bandipur.3.Tiger count begins at Ranthambore park Feb 3The Ranthambore reserve is embarking on phase IV of tiger monitoring as part of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocol for all tiger reserves for a national figure on big cats.4.Wild Tigers: the Time to Act Is Now Jan 30Tigers are in trouble. The largest of the world’s cats, a species that’s existed for two million years, is slipping away before our eyes. Few realize that just 3,000 tigers remain in the wild.5.Top Photos: 20 Years Camera-trapping India’s Elusive Carnivores Jan 27Owing to the enormous effort invested in such camera trap surveys in the Western Ghats, WCS-India database now has more than 750 uniquely identifiable tigers. <NEXT>

10. The 12 WWF Priority Tiger Landscapes:* Amur-Heilong – China and Russia*Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong – India*Satpuda-Maikal – India* Western Ghats-Nilgiris – India* Greater Manas – Bhutan and India* Sundarbans – Bangladesh and India* Terai Arc – India and Nepal* Forests of the Lower Mekong – Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam*Dawna – Myanmar *Banjaran Titiwangsa – Malaysia*Central Sumatra – Indonesia* Southern Sumatra – Indonesia*Tennaserim - Thailand <NEXT>

11. THE END THANK YOU……………. ....Created By Saurabh Patel