EVS ASSIGNMENT
PROJECT TIGER [GROUP 1]
Minal Sharma 23/672
Sharwari Shivankar 23/1028
Tanvi Raghav 23/0652
Lavanya sharma 23/086
Medha Gupta 23/572
Kashish 23/420
Project Tiger is a centrally sponsored scheme that offers support to the tiger states for the conservation of the
species of tiger in recognized tiger reserves. On April 1, 1973, the Indian government introduced Project Tiger to
encourage tiger conservation. The project is the largest species conservation programme of its kind. This was
created using Core-Buffer Strategy:
● The buffer or periphery regions are a mixture of forest and non-forest land that is administered
multiple-use area. It provides habitat supplement to wild animals and site-specific development to
surrounding villages so that they don’t impact the core areas.
● The core portions have the legal status of a national park or a wildlife century for the conservation of
tigers.
Project Tiger, launched in the 1970s, emerged from growing concerns about India’s shrinking wilderness.
Beyond safeguarding tigers, it has fostered vital lessons on balancing conservation with sustainable community
development. The tiger symbolizes the health of India’s ecosystems — representing the apex of a complex food
chain where microorganisms enrich the soil, diverse vegetation supports herbivores, and predators maintain
ecological balance. From the icy Himalayas to the Sundarbans' mangroves, Rajasthan’s deserts to the southern
rainforests, the tiger’s presence reflects the strength and vitality of India’s wild landscapes.
HISTORY OF TIGER CONSERVATION
Around 1970, a team of scientists and conservationists put tension on the Indian government concerning the
constant decline in the tiger population. As a result, the wildlife protection act was created in 1972, ending all
hunting in India legally and establishing legal protection for targeted species.
● Later, in 1973 Project Tiger was started, with Dr. Kailash Sankhala serving as its first director.
● The first tiger reserve in India was the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand.
● Eight additional tiger reserves were created totaling over 9115 square kilometres of forest area. This area
has increased to 71,000 square kilometres to date, a significant improvement from its early days but still
not nearly enough forest cover for a developing nation like India with a stunning and extensive natural
heritage.
● In India, there are currently 53 tiger reserves.
PROJECT TIGER'S OBJECTIVES
1. Limit factors that lead to reduction of tiger habitats and to mitigate them by suitable management. The
damages done to the habitat were to be rectified so as to facilitate the recovery of the ecosystem to the
maximum possible extent.
2. To ensure a viable population of tigers for economic, scientific, cultural, aesthetic and ecological values.
3. The Indian tiger population at the turn of the 20th century was estimated at 20,000 to 40,000
individuals. The first country-wide tiger census conducted in 1972 estimated the population to
comprise a little more than 1,800 individuals, a reduction in tiger population.
KEY STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED
1. Core-Buffer Strategy
Project Tiger introduced a two-zone system to balance conservation with human needs:
● Core Area: This is the highly protected zone where no human activity is allowed. It acts as a safe haven
for tigers to breed, hunt, and live undisturbed. The idea is to create an environment where nature
functions as it would without human interference. This ensures not only the tiger's survival but also the
health of the entire ecosystem — prey species like deer thrive, and vegetation stays intact, promoting a
natural food chain.
● Buffer Zone: This surrounds the core area and allows controlled human activity like eco-tourism, minor
agriculture, and grazing. The goal is to reduce pressure on the core while still giving local communities a
source of income. This keeps people invested in protecting the reserve, lowering the chances of illegal
activities like poaching or logging.
It protects the tiger’s most critical habitats while providing locals with sustainable income sources. This ensures
humans and wildlife can coexist without conflict.
2. Anti-Poaching And Protection Measures
One of the biggest reasons tiger numbers fell was poaching — driven by demand for tiger skins, bones, and other
body parts in illegal wildlife markets. Project Tiger introduced tough protection measures to counter this:
● Increased Patrols: More forest guards were recruited and better-equipped to patrol vulnerable areas. In
regions prone to poaching, Special Tiger Protection Forces (STPF) were created, trained specifically to
tackle organized wildlife crime.
● Technology Integration: Camera traps, GPS tracking, and drones became essential. These tools monitor
tiger movements, help track intrusions, and provide real-time data to prevent poaching. Camera traps
also help identify individual tigers through their unique stripe patterns — this ensures every tiger is
accounted for.
● Community Involvement: Recognizing that locals often get drawn into poaching for money, the
project shifted gears — creating jobs for locals as forest guides, guards, and eco-tourism staff. This gave
communities a reason to protect tigers instead of hunting them.
Stronger patrolling, backed by technology and community involvement, made poaching riskier and less
appealing. This gave tiger populations a safer environment to recover.
3. Habitat Management And Scientific Monitoring
Protecting tigers isn’t just about stopping poaching — they need healthy habitats with enough food, water, and
shelter to thrive. Project Tiger focused on improving and maintaining these habitats:
● Forest and Grassland Restoration: Degraded forests were replanted with native trees, and grasslands
were managed to ensure enough food for prey animals like deer and wild boar. This ensured tigers had
plenty to hunt without needing to leave protected areas.
● Water Resource Development: Many tiger reserves are in dry regions (e.g., Rajasthan’s Ranthambore).
To stop animals from wandering into human settlements in search of water, artificial ponds, check
dams, and rainwater harvesting systems were created inside reserves. This keeps both prey and predators
within the safe zone.
● Modern Monitoring Techniques: Old methods of tracking tigers, like counting pugmarks (paw prints),
were unreliable. Project Tiger brought in camera traps and DNA analysis (from tiger droppings and
hair samples) to get accurate population counts. GPS collars were also used to track tigers' movements
— especially those relocated to new areas — ensuring they adapted well.
Healthier habitats support more prey and ensure tigers stay inside protected areas, reducing human-tiger
conflicts. Accurate monitoring helps track population trends and guides future conservation efforts.
CHALLENGES IN CONSERVATION OF TIGERS
The following our challenges faced in the conservation of tigers in our country:
• Ecosystem fragmentation
• Providing tiger-exclusive territory to support its social dynamics
• Safeguarding tigers against poaching and hunting
• Resolving the tiger-human interface • Rehabilitating corridors, and winning the public‘s support
• Offering environmentally sustainable solutions to the locals
RESULTS OF PROJECT TIGER:
Project Tiger has achieved significant success in reversing the decline of India’s tiger population. From just 1,827
tigers in 1973, the numbers surged to 3,167 by 2022, making India home to 75% of the world’s wild tigers. The
number of tiger reserves expanded from 9 to 53, covering over 75,000 sq km of diverse habitats across the
country. Reserves like Sariska and Panna, which lost all their tigers to poaching, saw successful reintroductions
and now have growing populations. Eco-tourism flourished in parks like Ranthambore, creating jobs and
providing locals with sustainable income, reducing the incentive for poaching. Additionally, village relocations
from core areas helped minimize human-tiger conflicts. The project not only saved tigers but also strengthened
entire ecosystems, proving that focused conservation efforts can yield lasting environmental and economic
benefits.
CONCLUSION:
Project Tiger proved that focused conservation efforts can bring species back from the edge of extinction. It not
only revived tiger populations but also restored ecosystems and created sustainable livelihoods for local
communities. The project’s success shows that balancing wildlife protection with human involvement is key to
long-term conservation. However, challenges like habitat loss and poaching persist, requiring ongoing efforts to
secure the tiger’s future.
