Lessons of Tiger Conservation from Malenad

Context : Rising number of tiger population in the Malenad (or Malnad), Karnataka.

Background : The tiger population is on recovery in the Malnad landscape despite economic development. In the past five decades, tiger recovery in Malnad has occurred in an overall socioeconomic context. Studies suggest that the tiger population here has increased from approximately 70 to 391 individuals in about 45 years. The study paper has summarized the research and conservation work carried out in this region by the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) in Bengaluru. It also included major problems that still need to be addressed if the tiger numbers have to triple.

In Detail : Malenad

Researchers from the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) in Bengaluru have documented tiger recoveries over the past 30 years, across 38,000 sqkm Malnad landscape of Karnataka. They include the four clusters of Anshi-Dandeli, Bhadra-Kudremukh, Bandipur- Nagarahole and BRT Cauvery. This study outlines the results of ecological research, as also conservation intervention over three decades by CWS. As per their scientific assessment

Malenad in Karnataka is the home of the wider range of flora and fauna. Most specifically is the home of the magnificent tiger. Heavy rainfall, picturesque mountainous terrain and varied flora and fauna, are beauty of the region.

Tiger population has been rising in the region, primarily in a few wildlife reserves with long histories of law enforcement. If future tiger recovery efforts can be optimised, Malnad can potentially support up to 1,300 wild tigers, the study stated.

Efforts & Results

The key to bringing back tigers and other threatened species lies in apportioning land wisely, separating nature preservation and human development, recognizing the need for effective law enforcement, encouraging non-governmental conservation efforts and accepting the reality that wildlife conservation must succeed under the mandate for economic and technological progress.

Tiger recovery in the Malnad region has occurred amid significant human population growth, rising life expectancy and overall poverty reduction, induced by technological progress and demographic transition. These factors had both negative and positive impacts on conservation. This study proposes cost effective strategies to recover tigers and other threatened carnivores in a social context, and recommends that conservation be seen as distinct from development.

Conflicted Feelings

The settlement of local population inside the core areas is a major challengs. Re-settlement of people living inside reserves continues to be a debated topic. This is a complex conservation issue because fundamentally people living inside reserves have well-documented negative consequences for wildlife and biodiversity because of human activities.

For people living inside some want to continue to live inside due to long term ancestral and social connections to the land while many others want to relocate outside seeking to better their lives in the face of hardships they endure daily. These problems include high human–wildlife conflict, lack of access to quality health care and education, and isolation from a rapidly changing world. This needs to be viewed as a freedom of choice, the choice to move or stay which often gets mixed up.

Conclusion & Way forward

There are a huge variety of conservation challenges including managing existing wildlife reserves, human-wildlife conflict, land-use change, impacts from infrastructure growth and development, the emergence of zoonotic diseases, wildlife trade and poaching, and these need to be addressed while continuing to monitor wildlife populations.

If the conservation strategies are crafted to align better with people’s aspirations and the development process, it certainly shows the positive results in minimizing man-animal conflict. The researchers hope that these lessons can be applied in the management of wild tiger populations in all other parts of the country and globally as well.

There is a potential to recover tiger populations through informed management actions, and much scope for increasing carrying capacity for tigers in the forests of Malnad through protection of tigers and habitats.

Connecting the Article

Question for Prelims : The Wildlife Protection Act- 1972, provides for the protection of the

1. Birds
2. Animals
3. Plants

Select the correct answer using code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Question for Mains: "Human–wildlife conflict occurs when the needs and behavior of wildlife impact negatively the humans or when humans negatively affect the needs of wildlife." Discuss along with the strategies that should be adopted to counter this argument.