Tiger corridors remain essential for the big cat to survive.
- Posted
Tiger experts at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have indicated the need for 41 of India's tiger reserves which contain less than 20 breeding male and female tigers to be 'connected' to the remaining 9 tiger reserves in the country that contain a much higher population of the animals. WII have set out the criteria required for the breeding value of the big cats. Only those reserves with at least 20 breeding units with a tiger and tigress comprising of 1 unit qualify which at present are:- Corbett, Kanha, Pench, Ranthambhore, Bandhavgarh, Sunderbans, Kaziranga, Tadoba and Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam, Bandipur and Nagarhole. Scientists this week at the annual seminar of WII said that there was an urgent need to connect the 41 tiger reserves with the 9 other reserves containing a much greater population of tigers. They further state that these smaller populations can only survive if they remain connected with these nine larger populations. That means they exchange individuals and genetic material. Therefore the crux of tiger conservation is to ensure the protection of these large populations, make others as large as them and keep the corridors between them intact. This means that any development passing through corridors has to be green and no development should be permitted within the core areas of tiger reserves. More on this important study can be read by following the link below.