001- Apr 3 When Tigers Leave Their Kingdom – A New Conservation Frontier 🐅
Environment, Conservation, Ecology, Wildlife Management
📍 India’s New Conservation Challenge
- 30% of Tigers now reside outside protected reserves
- India’s total estimated tiger population: 3,682
→ Raises questions of space, safety, and shared habitats
🧾 Project: “Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves”
- Approved by National Board for Wildlife
- Budget: ₹176.45 crore till 2026–27
- Implemented by: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
- Target Zones: 80 forest divisions across 10 states
🎯 Key Objectives
- Monitor tigers in non-reserve areas
- Prevent poaching & illegal wildlife trade
- Address human-wildlife conflict
- Engage in community outreach & awareness
🔥 The Conflict Zone
- 378 human deaths (2020–2024) due to tiger encounters
- High-conflict districts:
➤ Wayanad (Kerala)
➤ Chandrapur (Maharashtra)
➤ Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh) - Also causes livestock losses & fear-induced retaliation
🧭 Geographical Spread
| Landscape Region | Key Notes |
|---|---|
| Central Indian Highlands | Largest population |
| Shivalik Hills & Terai | Dense corridor conflict zones |
| Eastern Ghats | Increasing spillover reports |
| Sundarbans | Delta-edge conflict with settlements |
🌳 Funding Channels
- CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund) being tapped
- Will supplement Project Tiger, not replace it
- Aim: Strengthen surveillance, mobility corridors, and fencing
📚 Relevance for UPSC
- GS3: Environment & Biodiversity, Conservation Projects
- GS2: Conflict Resolution, Tribal Welfare
- Essay: “The wild must not retreat—it must be understood.”
✨ Closing Whisper
“When the jungle ends, the tiger does not. It prowls into our fields, not in hunger alone—but in search of its vanishing silence.”
🔥 A Thought Spark – by IAS Monk
The forest is no longer enough. The tiger now roams roadsides, railway tracks, and human trails.
And perhaps this is not its loss—but our call to reimagine the edge between wilderness and survival.
