Tiger, tiger, burning bright

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night
What mortal hand or eye
Could land thee in the cemetry?

If media reports are to believed, the tiger population in India has been drastically falling from 40,000 a century ago to less than 2,000 (according to conservationists) today. The 2,000 number should be taken with a pinch of salt as it contradicts the official estimate of 3,700, which is of course more reliable as it is official. In addition, it is based on the Traditional Pugmark Census method, a scientific approach that involves counting the individual pugmarks and dividing by pi (or something like that).

Several reasons why people doubt the accuracy of the Census data have been cited, including that the forest department babus fudge the data to protect their jobs. This is far from true. If at all the numbers were altered, it was done to uplift the morale of the Indian people, the tiger being our national animal.

Nowhere is this truer than Sariska, where the Census steadfastedly maintained that there were 50 tigers inspite of conservationists claiming that there were no tigers left. Unfortunately, this forced the Government to admit that there were no tigers left in Sariska. The Prime Minister then created the Tiger Task Force (TTF) which has recommended more jobs for babus but hopefully the additional work can be completely ignored.

The minister under whose watch the tigers at Sariska disappeared and the lions at Gir were poached, has been made the new IT and Communications Minister. Let us see if he is as effective in his new role.

Meanwhile, China has been lobbying with India, Vietnam and Thailand to lift the ban on the trade of tiger parts which play an important role in traditional Chinese medicines. Wildlife conservation groups are trying to get India to oppose this move.

(Image Source: vaishalee)