Vanishing Stripes: Save the Bengal Tiger

Greeting to you from Wildlife Trust of India,

Hope you are doing well!

This email comprises an update for our project ‘Vanishing Stripes: Save the Bengal Tiger’. Along the updates, we send to you our heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and for your trust in the work we do to protect India’s tigers. It is through such acts of kindness that we are able to implement our conservation initiatives and work towards saving India’s national animal – the magnificent Royal Bengal Tiger.

This month, on 1^st of April, Government of India’s ‘Project Tiger’ completed exactly 50 years. Project Tiger has been the largest species conservation initiative of its kind. Fifty years of dedicated efforts to save India’s dying tiger population has yielded terrific results. Back in 1973, when ‘Project Tiger’ was launched from Corbett National Park’s ‘Dhikala’ range, tiger population in India stood at 268. Today, we have a growing population of 3,167 tigers across India as per the 5^th India Tiger Census conducted in 2022.

But as the tiger numbers are rising, human population too is expanding in India. Limited space has made it a challenge to accommodate this population boom of both humans and tigers, resulting in an increased frequency of negative interactions between the two species. To counter this, measures to promote co-spacing and co-existence is the need of the hour. In addition, tiger poaching and trade in tiger parts never seized and is known menace.

India’s frontline forest staff plays a pivotal role in managing human-tiger conflict and also keep poaching and wildlife trade in check. These conservation heroes continuously patrol India’s Protected Areas on foot, braving some of the most difficult terrains and inclement weather conditions, to protect our country’s natural heritage. As they do so, their lives are at a constant risk from poachers and occasional deadly encounters with wild animals. To add to their already arduous job description, the frontline staff is considerable ill-equipped to conduct their duties. At WTI, we are filling this gap and providing equipment support to these wildlife warriors so they can continue doing their amazing jobs with a little ease.

Corbett National Park holds special significance to Project Tiger. Apart from being the location from where the Project Tiger was launched in 1973, Corbett was also among the first 9 Tiger Reserves designated as a part of the project, and today is home to a healthy population of 164 tigers.

With your kind support in the reporting period, WTI provided equipment support in the form of torchlights, headlamps, water bottles and water filters to the frontline forest staff of Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand state. The handover happened at the Conservation Partners’ Meet – a 3-day capacity building workshop - organised by WTI in Corbett inviting all our grassroots conservation partners across India.

As we continue to provide support to India’s frontline forest staff, who are the backbone for wildlife conservation in our country, we thank you, for funding the initiative.    

Warm Regards,

Team WTI