3. What needs to be done to save the Tiger?
Local institutions and people Scientists who were closely involved in managing tigers at the local level, Hemendra Panwar of India and Hemanta Mishra of Nepal, pointed out an important lesson more than a decade ago: unless local community needs are met, conservation of the tiger will not succeed and protected areas will perish. Therefore, conservation programmes
Must reconcile the interests of people and tigers. In most situations, a sustainable tiger conservation strategy cannot be achieved without the full participation and collective action of individual rural households whose livelihoods depend on rights of access and use of the forests where tigers live.
- Technologies for conservation of resources there already exists a wide range of technologies and practices in forest and watershed management and agriculture, both traditional and new, for conservation of resources. The biological processes that regenerate forests and make agriculture less damaging to tiger habitats take time to become established
- Use of external institutions: Institutions, such as NGOs, government departments, and banks, can facilitate processes by which local people develop their sense of ownership and commitment. When little effort is made to build local skills, interest, and capacity, people have no interest or stake in maintaining structures or practices once the incentives for conservation stop. Success hinges on people’s participation in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, which leads to the formation of new institutions or the strengthening of existing ones
- Conservation of tiger habitat and of prey In many areas peripheral to tiger habitat, grazing lands for livestock have been converted to crops or degraded by excessive use; livestock is of poor quality and of poor productivity; wood for fuel and building has been exhausted; and sources of income are limited. The rehabilitation of the natural resource base of local people is essential if they are not to seek their requirements in protected areas. This requires ecodevelopment with the support and cooperation of specialized government organs and the non-governmental conservation community.
- Education: Educating local peoples on the need and benefits of conservation, and making them part of the management process are important steps in saving tigers and their habitat. For instance, villagers and government officials in Chitwan, Nepal, are working together to preserve tall grasses. These valuable grasses are used in home building, and have been over harvested outside the tiger reserve. By helping to conserve tall grasses in the preserve, the villagers are ensured a continual supply of grasses, which they are allowed to harvest once a year. In areas of India, villagers are being taught how to conserve and rehabilitate their own overgrazed and eroded farmlands, which reduces exploitation of surrounding reserves. Villagers are also being educated on the importance of preserving large tracts of natural habitat for soil and water conservation. Providing practical alternatives to local agricultural practices can improve living conditions and help preserve habitat. For example, a private foundation in India is providing high-grade cattle to local citizens. These cattle improve local breeds, and can be stall-fed rather than pasture grazed. Villagers are also learning how to use cattle dung for fuel, which may eventually reduce the demand for wood. Improved living conditions may lessen the temptation of local hunters to supplement their incomes through poaching. Properly managed wildlife tourism promotes both education and conservation opportunities. Tours through reserves help to educate locals and tourists. Tourism also generates revenue for the reserve and jobs for local citizens.
Research on tigers in the wild and in captivity enables regulators to make informed, rational decisions regarding species conservation and management plans. Worldwide education can promote the general public's awareness of and sensitivity to the plight of tigers.
-Role of zoological parks: Having tigers at zoological parks, like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, provides an opportunity for the public to observe and learn about these endangered animals and how human activities threaten their survival. In the protected environment of zoological parks, scientists can examine aspects of tiger biology that are difficult to study in the wild. Managed captive breeding programs increase overall tiger numbers and provide the genetic variability that can potentially be used to reduce inbreeding in isolated wild populations. Well-managed programs are essential to the survival of all tiger subspecies given the limited space available in zoological parks and wildlife reserves.