join the roar!

Stripey the cub (in photo) has become the symbol of the tiger conservation movement and the recent Save our Tigers campaign initiated by Aircel*/WWF. The year of the Tiger rings in on 14th February and with this, there is predicted to be an increase in demand for tiger products.

India is working very closely with China to ensure that poaching is curbed on both ends of the supply chain. Beijing's co-operation is critically important in order to ensure the survival of the species. With only 50 tigers left in the wild in China, poachers are likely to intensify their efforts in India. Is someone addressing this issue?The site also gives information on tiger reserves and tiger density in each reserve - out of the 37 sanctuaries in India 17 face a collapse in tiger population. I have previously blogged about the plight of our national animal and since then nothing has changed really, in the overall scenario.

So what can you do? According to the website which is not very informative you can donate, blog, tweet, or join the Facebook page. The Aircel campaign has its heart in the right place and it is a great start to creating awareness; but its impact remains to be seen. Since Project Tiger which has been the most successful program in the 70s lost steam; tiger conservation has always had its lulls and rises. There has never been a concentrated effort to increase tiger numbers, reducing poaching and ensuring protected habitat remain that way. More importantly there has not been much transparency, advocacy or public involvement in the process. Every census releases varying numbers regarding tiger population - for example, does the site explain how the number 1411 was arrived at?

Latest technologies in animal conservation and expert consultations are the need of the hour. It is also highly essential for the public sector and civil society organizations to attack bureaucracy. More importantly it is essential that every tiger campaign, indeed every campaign keeps people in the loop. The newest WWF initiative is an interactive map that gives a status report of tigers all over the world. According to their latest numbers there are 3200 tigers are left world over in the wild. Like I have argued previously, conservation efforts are dependent on rate of biodiversity loss which is tied into economic losses. Stripey no matter how cute and how much celebrity support he garners, will not stir public sympathies for too long unless a holistic picture is provided. I hope someone from Aircel is reading this: more information is needed on their campaign objectives, how they plan on achieving them and where they're getting their numbers from - for starters.

* Aircel is a mobile phone service provider in India

Photo Courtesy: www.saveourtigers.com

close encounters with the endangered

I spent the last couple of days away from the city in Valparai which is situated in the Western Ghats of Southern India and is famous for its tea plantations and wildlife. About 3500 feet above sea level it is as pollution-free as it gets with strong enforcement of anti-litter/plastic rules and surrounded by rolling walls of green hills all covered entirely in tea. The faint smell of pesticides and fertilizers however do linger in the air which makes me wonder how much is being used to cover all the mountains and mountains of plantations we saw.

This aside, waking up to greenery and the much needed fresh air is a splendid treat. En route, the Indira Gandhi National Park situated in the Anamalai Hills is home to many endemic species that this area of the world is famous for: lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri and the common langur, Malabar giant squirrel, elephant, gaur, bison, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer and wild boar. Many of these species are also highly endangered and are being actively protected through many conservation programs.

This area is also rife with hydro-electricity projects which require vast area of forests to be cleared. It also consists of some huge dams like Aliyar, Sholiyar etc. One of the main attractions for me at Valparai was to spot the highly endangered lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) which is also endemic to the area. Recent IUCN estimates place its numbers at 3000-3500. The lion-tail is an old world macaque and among the smallest of the macaque species and the most endangered. International trade is banned by their listing on Appendix I of the International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and they are also protected by Indian law.

The lion-tail is shy and prefers to stay above in the thick canopy of trees hardly venturing to the forest floor which makes it not only difficult to spot but also means that it is unable to adapt to any other environment other than its natural habitat which is being rapidly destroyed. On the second day armed with my camera and other gear we ventured out in search of this elusive creature. Our guide got in contact with some wildlife wardens who constantly patrol the area from which they emerge around mid-day which is the forest on either side of the road. The patrol ensures that monkeys are spared from being killed by passing vehicles and people do not stop to feed them.

As we patrol with them they emerge slowly from the thick cover the bravest ones venturing forward first followed by the entire band. They were clinging to every branch and showing off their amazing acrobatic skills. This band of about twenty monkeys entertained and enthralled. They kept mostly to themselves and viewed us with curiosity and rarely kept still long enough for me to get a crisp picture. As they moved they stopped to feed on insects that they deftly pulled out from the hollow trees and shook branches to release seeds from the fruit. They also showed us how cautiously they cross roads to get to the other side.

We were told that this band was particularly adventurous and usually this species is not so forthcoming. Coming away later that day, what struck me most about the whole experience is that how rarely one witnesses endangered animal species in the wild and how much longer such meetings will last...

Photo: Akhila Vijayaraghavan ©