Challenges to Conservation

Habitat and Resource Limitation

        

        Worldwide, tigers only occupy 7% of their historic range. The Bengal tiger’s extent of occupied area is estimated to be less than 1,184,911 square kilometers (1), which is a 41% decline from the area estimated by Dinerstein et al (1997). The Sunderbans is currently the most highly occupied area by Bengal tigers, and also sees the highest amount of human-tiger conflict. Countries harboring Bengal tigers are slowly becoming more developed, which means the tigers are losing more of their habitat to modernization in the form of large-scale mining, hydro-power dam projects and agricultural expansion. This loss of habitat along with the over-harvesting of prey species pushes tigers to kill domestic livestock, which in turn aggravates local farmers (2/3). In 2006 the Indian government passed the Forest Rights Act, which granted some of its impoverished communities to live and own land inside the Sunderbans (2). The Forest Rights Act has caused tiger territory to diminish in size, increasing human-tiger conflicts in the area, leading to rising tensions between the predator species and humans. Also, according to the International Panel on Climate Change, there will likely be an anthropogenic 45-cm rise in sea level by the end of the 21st century. This rise in sea level, along with destruction of habitat due to increased human presence, could lead to the annihilation of 75% of the Sunderbans (4).

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Human-Tiger Conflicts

        At the beginning of the 19th century, Bengal tigers were so abundant that killing of the predator was encouraged, with rewards given out for hunting of the species (5). They were seen as a threat to humans and the mentality that predators are evil and must be exterminated was implanted in the public's mind. Farmers often blame tigers for killing their livestock, even though in reality a tiger could have had nothing to do with the loss. They then form a group that will go out into the jungle destroying the tiger’s habitat and shooting any tigers they find in acts known as 'revenge killings' (6). The skins and bones of the tigers are then sold illegally in the black market for profit (6). 

<http://www.wpsi-india.org/images/EIA-WPSI_Skinning_The_Cat.pdf>

Poaching

        Officials suggest that tiger populations are affected more by poaching than other solitary cats due to their higher age of sexual maturity and longer inter-birth intervals. (7). Poaching is one of the major driving forces of tigers towards extinction (8). Tiger parts have been embedded in Asian culture for centuries, being used for medicinal, nutritional and social purposes. The listing of tigers as an endangered species has only driven up the demand for them, due to an increased standard of living in Southeast Asia and the growing number of potential buyers within the tiger trade (9/10). According to The Trade in Tiger Parts, the largest consumer of tiger parts is Japan. Even though it is illegal to purchase tiger products in Japan, it happens on a daily basis because there are numerous ways of getting around the law. Tiger bone wine and powders are often sold without punishment because it is hard to test what the powder or wine actually consists of. As a consequence of the Forest Rights Acts of 2006, it has become easier for poachers to sneak into the Sunderbans without being questioned, because they can pass as local inhabitants (2). Poaching is the biggest factor affecting the livelihood of Bengal tigers. If it is not stopped, then the Bengal tiger may very well face the same fate as the South China tiger; extinction in the wild. Different sources indicate different punishments for poaching, ranging from fines and jail time, to death. However, most poaching goes unpunished, as officials are easily bribed and poachers are advancing their methods (9).

<http://www.wpsi-india.org/images/EIA-WPSI_Skinning_The_Cat.pdf>

References

1. Sanderson, E., Forrest, J., Loucks, C., Ginsberg, J., Dinerstein, E., Seidensticker, J., Leimgruber, P., Songer, M., Heydlauff, A., O'Brien, T., Bryja, G., Klenzendorf, S and Wikramanayake, E. 2006. Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of Wild Tigers: 2005-2015. The Technical Assessment. WCS, WWF, Smithsonian, and NFWF-STF, New York and Washington, DC, USA.

2. Buncombe, A.. The face of a doomed species. N.p., 2007. Web. <http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-face-of-a-doomed-species-398373.html>.

3. Tigers forever. N.P., 2011. Web. <http://www.panthera.org/programs/tigers-forever>

4. "Bengal Tiger." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_tiger>

5. McDougal, C. (1987) The man-eating tigers in geographical historical perspective. In: Tilson, R. L., Seal, U.S. (eds.) Tigers of the World. Noyes Publications, New Jersey. Pages 435–448.

6. Banks, D., Lawson, S., Wright, B. (eds.) (2006) Skinning the Cat: Crime and Politics of the Big Cat Skin Trade. Environmental Investigation Agency, Wildlife Protection Society of India
7. Guillaume, C. 2008. The impact on tigers of poaching versus prey depletion. Journal of Applied Ecology 45(6): 1667-1674

8.Tiger overview. N.p., 2011. Web.  <http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/index.html>.

9. Dinerstein, E. et al. 2007. The fate of wild tigers. BioScience 57: 508–514.

10. Kasnoff, Craig. "The Trade in Tiger Parts." Tigers in Crisis. CKMC, n.d. Web. <http://www.tigersincrisis.com/trade_tigers.htm>.