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https://theconversation.com/to-save-its-tigers-india-has-relocated-thousands-of-people-it-could-enlist-their-help-instead-238109>
"British colonialism turned India’s tigers into trophies. Between 1860 and
1950, more than 65,000 were shot for their skins. The fortunes of the Bengal
tiger, one of Earth’s biggest species of big cat, did not markedly improve
post-independence. The hunting of tigers – and the animals they eat, like deer
and wild pigs – continued, while large tracts of their forest habitat became
farmland.
India established Project Tiger in 1972 when there were fewer than 2,000 tigers
remaining; it is now one of the world’s longest-running conservation
programmes. The project aimed to protect and increase tiger numbers by creating
reserves from existing protected areas like national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries. Part of that process has involved forcing people to relocate.
In protected areas globally, nature conservationists can find themselves at
odds with the needs of local communities. Some scientists have argued that, in
order for them to thrive, tigers need forests that are completely free of
people who might otherwise graze livestock or collect firewood. In a few
documented cases, the tiger population has indeed recovered once people were
removed from tiger reserves.
But in pitting people against wildlife, relocations foster bigger problems that
do not serve the long-term interests of conservation."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
