Volume 65, Issue 2, 2021

Journal of Scientific Research

Institute of Science,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.

Conservation Status of Bengal Tiger (Panthera

tigris tigris)- A Review
Anoushka Kumar*1

*1S. I. E. S. College of Arts Science and Commerce, [email protected]

Abstract: Bengal tiger is one of the majestic carnivores found in regulating and perpetuating ecological processes and system
regions of the Indian subcontinent. It possesses immense intrinsic (Sunquist et al., 1999; Terborgh, 1991; WWF-INDIA, 2014).
values contributing significantly to the cultural and ecological Many scientists refer it as an ecological litmus paper as it acts
aspects. However, a drastic decline in the population has been
as an indicator species from which various ecological changes in
perceived for the past few years. Anthropogenic activities and fall
terms of species richness, equitability, size, biomass, etc. are
in prey density are considered to be the major threats. Several
conservation actions and plans have been executed to stabilize and
determined. It helps in indicating the overall health of the
increase the population. This review article summarizes ecology, ecosystems in South and South-East Asia (Mohammad, 2004).
threats to tiger population and its conservation strategies. Despite its consequential role in ecological sustainability and
services, tiger population is diminishing at an alarming rate all
Index Terms: Anthropogenic, Carnivores, Conservation, over its range (Mohammad, 2004; Wikramanayake et al., 2010).
Ecological and Population. As per IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it is evaluated to
be an endangered species whose population in the Indian
I. INTRODUCTION subcontinent declined drastically from 100,000 in 1900s to 3,600
Bengal tiger, formerly known as Royal Bengal tiger (Pandit, in 2010 (Wikramanayake et al., 2010). Survey in India, in 2010,
2012), belongs to the population of the Panthera tigris tigris recorded an average count of 1411 tigers (Jhala et al., 2011).
subspecies, native to the Indian subcontinent (Kitchener et al., This review article explores ecology, threats to tiger
2017). It is considered to be one of the largest carnivore population and various conservation strategies needed to protect
mammals alive today (Heptner & Sludskii, 1992; Mazak, 1981). tiger population.
It is reckoned among the world’s charismatic megafauna
(Sankhala, 1978), and is the national animal of both India and II. ECOLOGY AND HABITAT
Bangladesh (Lytton, 1841). Different subspecies and habitat determine the ecology and
Felis tigris was the former scientific name of tiger, coined by behavior of the tigers (Khan, 2004). There are varieties of
Carl Linnaeus in 1758 (Linnaeus, 1758). Later, by Reginald habitat in which tigers are situated, tropical evergreen forests,
Innes Pocock in 1929, it was subordinated to genus Panthera rainforests, subtropical pine forests, dry deciduous forests,
(Pocock, 1929). It is a member of the Class Mammalia, Order alluvial savanna, grasslands, broadleaf temperate forests,
Carnivora, Family Felidae, Subfamily Pantherinae. It is one of Mongolian steppe, Amur steppe, open woodland, thorn scrub
the 9 known subspecies of tiger and is the most numerous and mangrove forests (Wikramanayake et al., 2010). They have
(Dhandapani, 2014). It is indigenous to various parts of Asia, also been located at altitudes higher than 3000 meters in
including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, majority in India Himalayas (Prater, 1971; Matthiessen, 2000), and are adapted to
(Dhandapani, 2014; Ghosh, 2020). wide range of environments (Seidensticker & McDougal, 1993).
Tiger serves a significant contribution in the ecology. It is not Minimal requirements for a tiger habitat are thick vegetation,
just a flag-bearer of conservation but also an umbrella species, adequate ungulate population and water availability are
whose protection ensues conservation of other species, that are a (Sunquist & Sunquist, 1989). Currently, only 5% out of 1.5
direct or an indirect part of the tiger’s food chain. It is a top million square kilometers supports tiger population (Karanth,
predator, lies on the apex of food chain, and plays a vital role in 2001), due to anthropogenic activities and prey density deficit.
The structure of prey community in terms of its abundance of
*
different size class, determines the ecological density of tigers
Corresponding Author

DOI: 10.37398/JSR.2021.650201 1
 Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 65, Issue 2, 2021

(Karanth & Sunquist, 1995). (Ranganathan et al., 2008).

Tigers prefer to prey on large sized animals like ungulates,
boars, baby elephants, bulls, gaurs, rhinoceros, other carnivores IV. THREATS
like leopards, bears, and smaller animals like aves, fishes and Animal-human conflict, prey depletion, habitat loss and
reptiles (Karanth & Sunquist. 1992; Nowell & Jackson, 1996; fragmentation are by far the most apparent threats to the tigers in
Prater, 1971). They feed about 18 to 40 kgs of meat at once the wild (Ramakrishnan et al., 1999). Found in 13 Asian
(Locke, 1954). They tend to drag their kills prior to the feeding countries, they have encountered severe environmental
(Schaller, 1967), which sometimes lengths up to 8 kms circumstance and degradation as a result of accelerating human
(Sankhala, 1978). Average amount of meat required for an population ensuing urbanization, economic growth,
individual, annually, is 3000 kgs (Sunquist et al., 1999), infrastructure development and climate change (Seidensticker,
although, over the long term, tiger predation does not necessarily 2010). Sensitivity to poaching and hunting may induce the
decrease the prey population (Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002). Old extinction of their population (Chapron et al., 2008), irrespective
tigers and injured tigers have incorporated human flesh into their of the high prey density (Gopal et al., 2010). Human-tiger
diet and actively hunt and kill humans (Corbett, 1957). conflict has been a major sociological and conservational
Tigers have adapted to become a nocturnally active species concern where demand for tiger’s body parts in China, required
due to anthropogenic disruptions, however, when left unvexed, for traditional Chinese medicines and other practices is fueling
they are seen active during the day time as well (Sunquist & the poaching (Kenney et al., 1995). Population of tigers is
Sunquist, 2002). They are stalk and ambush predators; they take directly proportional to the density of its prey (Karanth et al.,
cover behind trees and rocks and launches the attack as the prey 2004). Local communities are the main cause of declination of
gets close (Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002). They are skilled hunters; prey population, as they depend on forest for their livelihood
they attack their prey on their neck, causing suffocation (Nowell (Madhusudhan, 2004). Domestic livestock of local inhabitants
& Jackson, 1996). The attack style differs with respect to the ecologically competes with the ungulates, thereby affecting the
size of the prey (Nowell & Jackson, 1996). They are great tiger population (Carbone & Gittleman, 2004). Rise of human
swimmers (Khan, 2004), and can swim up to the distance of ten population has augmented the demand of natural resource
kilometers (Chaudhuri & Choudhury, 1994). When provoked, consumption which prompted in habitat depletion and
they can also climb trees (Sunquist & Sunquist, 2002). fragmentation (Vitousek et al., 1997). Owing to exploitation of
resources, quality of forests in India, unlike Africa, South-East
III. DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION STATUS Asia and Latin America, continues to degenerate (Chakravorty et
Origination of tiger was from eastern Asia (Kitchener, 1999). al., 2000; Ghimere et al., 1979; Lele et al., 2000). Urbanization
Several fossils were excavated in the regions of China, Java and and change in land use pattern led to fragmentation and isolation
Sumatra, which was considered to have been possible from late of habitat (Barbier, 2001). In order to maintain genetic and
Pliocene to late Pleistocene (Hemmer, 1987). It was asserted that demographic viability and to raise young ones, large scale of
tigers traversed to India, from the eastern Asia region about two undisturbed landscapes with sufficient amount of prey
million years ago (Nowell & Jackson, 1996). Absence of tigers population is required (Carbone et al., 1999; Karanth &
in Sri Lanka further suggests that tigers appeared later in India, Sunquist, 1995; Seidensticker & McDougal, 1993).
after Sri Lanka dissociated with India due to the rise of sea Aforementioned threats are directly or indirectly associated to
levels during that period (Kitchener, 1999). They entered India socio-political issues. Tigers are vicious predators spotted
either through northwest or northeast (Heptner & Sludskii, around the globe possessing high density but poor population
1992). (Dinerstein et al., 2006). In this framework, political challenges
Royal Bengal tiger, out of the eight other subspecies, is the involving legal, historical, livelihood and management issues are
most numerous. India, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Myanmar, readily involved in protecting tigers legally by the establishment
Bhutan, Bangladesh Cambodia, Russia, Nepal, Lao PDR, and of protected areas (Rastogi et al., 2012).
Thailand are the thirteen countries that inhabits tigers, often Establishment of several isolated reserves, implemented for
referred as tiger range countries (Stoner & Pervushina, 2003). conservation of tigers, may have prompted in the reduction of
More than fifty percent of the total tiger population reside in the immediate risk of population extinction, but will not sustain
India (Mondol et al, 2009). In 2006, about 1410 individuals were the ecology, genetics and behaviour of tigers (Rastogi et al.,
estimated, excluding the population of Sundarbans (Jhala et al., 2012). A severe genetic bottleneck has been observed in the tiger
2008). Survey conducted in the year 2010 exhibits the range of population residing in these isolated reserves, which pose threat
tiger population to be between 1571 and 1875, with an average to the future tiger population (Ranganathan et al., 2008).
of 1706 (Ministry of Environment and Forest, 2010). They are Anthropogenic disturbances are anticipated to exacerbate with
found in all range of forests, from cold Himalayan region in the the rapid proliferation of human population, giving rise to active
north to tropical Western Ghats in south and Mangrove forests or passive pressure on tiger population (Dhandapani, 2014).

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 Journal of Scientific Research, Volume 65, Issue 2, 2021

V. CONSERVATION STRATEGIES It is important not only to sustain populations at key habitat

locations, but also to allow the species to survive over much
Having a steady growth of the tiger population is the ultimate wider environments in order to retain the tiger. To achieve this,
goal of the conservation plans, by bringing down the pressure it is crucial to create well-connected networks of habitats where
(Ministry of Environment and Forest, 2010). Seidensticker tiger survival and reproductive sites are facilitated by dispersal
reported following sectors required to be included in the tiger and colonization opportunities (Gubbi et al., 2017). Providing
conservation program (Seidensticker, 2010): local populations with an interest in tiger survival, such as a
1. Improving tiger conservation policies share in tourism profits, helps protect tigers. This will result in a
2. Preserving tiger conservation landscapes rise in anti-poaching efforts manage by local communities
3. Scientific management and monitoring (Begum & Gill, 2014). For the survival of tigers, a constructive
4. Engaging communities approach reflecting the need for the introduction of effective
5. Cooperative management of international tiger protection initiatives and mitigation methods such as schooling,
landscapes monetary reward and tiger tracking should be proposed
6. Eliminating illicit transnational trade in wildlife (Bhattarai & Fischer, 2014).
7. Persuading citizens to avoid tiger consumption
8. Improving the technical capability of policy-makers CONCLUSION
and practitioners It can be concluded that restoration of large prey population and
9. Establishing sustainable long-term tiger and little human interference are the key measures necessary for the
10. Wildlife conservation funding strategies effective conservation of tiger. It is vital to enable the species'
Tiger species and their prey must be handled on a land-scape survival through broader landscapes to sustain the tiger. The
scale that encompasses main protected areas, buffer zones, mechanism that makes the recovery of tigers must be assessed
dispersion corridors, sustainable management and preservation and monitored.
of selectively logged forests (Linkie et al., 2008; Rayan &
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