Indian government
There are a myriad of government bodies who have also taken strides to prevent the extinction of the global tiger population. In 1973, "Project Tiger" was launched by the Indian government under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The project intendeds on ensuring that the population of Bengal tigers remains stable and their natural habitats are maintained appropriately, in addition to preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage. The project focuses on establishing tiger reserves, which act as a safe location for tigers to live and breed, with surplus animals migrating to the adjacent forests. Along with restoring the population of tigers, the project also aims to minimise the negative impact of poachers by establishing a Tiger Protection Force. "Project Tiger" covers a collection of tiger habitats, including the Sivalik, Terai, North East, Central Indian and Western Ghats Conservation Units. "Project Tiger" operates around the following principles:
In the late 1980's, the initial nine reserves, spanning an area of 9115 square kilometers had expanded to 16 reserves covering an increase area of 24,700 square kilometres; by 1997, the size of the project had further increased, with 23 tiger reserves inhabiting an area of approximately 33,000 square kilometers. Currently, there are 47 tiger reserves covering an area of approximately 38770 square kilometers, as demonstrated in figure 5.a.
- Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic disturbance from the core area and rationalisation of the activities in the location
- Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages done to the ecosystem by human and other interferences so as to facilitate recovery of the ecosystem to its natural state
- Monitoring the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying out research about wildlife
In the late 1980's, the initial nine reserves, spanning an area of 9115 square kilometers had expanded to 16 reserves covering an increase area of 24,700 square kilometres; by 1997, the size of the project had further increased, with 23 tiger reserves inhabiting an area of approximately 33,000 square kilometers. Currently, there are 47 tiger reserves covering an area of approximately 38770 square kilometers, as demonstrated in figure 5.a.