Vanishing Stripes: Save the Bengal Tiger

India holds over half of the world’s tiger population and is considered to have the best chance for saving the wild population of this magnificent animal. Being the apex of the food chain and an umbrella species, presence of tiger is vital in regulating ecological processes and systems in a habitat. Bandipur, in the southern state of Karnataka is one of the earliest Tiger reserves in the country and holds the distinction of housing the second largest population of tigers (estimated 136) in the world. However, it doesn’t take away from the fact that tigers are under severe threat from poaching, human wildlife conflict, forest fires, expansion of linear infrastructure to name a few.

Through your support, WTI has been working in Bandipur TR to address poaching and resolving various aspects of human-wildlife conflict. In the past few months, the team (in two separate incidents) assisted the forest department in capturing and providing veterinary treatment to two injured tigers. The veterinary officer also provided treatment to four cases of livestock that had been attacked and injured by tigers in Maddur, Hediyala, N.Begur and Kundkere forest ranges. All the treated cattle have recovered from their injuries and are back in good health. A consultative meeting was also organized with the local panchayat members to ensure that no retaliatory poisoning would be done by the locals, in return for timely ex-gratia by the forest department. The team also accompanied the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) and conducted Foot & Mouth Disease vaccination programs in fringe villages of Bandipur TR to limit its breakout.