Amid Uproar, India to Build Old-Age Home for Tigers
Date: 24-May-05
Country: INDIA
Author: Krittivas Mukherjee
The government received strong criticism after reports in March that the entire tiger population at the Sariska tiger reserve in western India had been killed by poachers. The reports said that the case may be similar at other sanctuaries.
There were 16-18 tigers reported at Sariska a year ago.
Under public pressure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Ranthambhore reserve, also in western India, on Monday to discuss ways of stopping the poaching.
Officials at the Sunderbans mangrove forest tiger reserve in the eastern state of West Bengal say they want to do their bit.
"The sick and ageing tigers that can't hunt any more will be rehabilitated in this rescue centre," Atanu Raha, chief conservator of the Sunderbans forest, told Reuters.
"It will be like an old-age home."
"We will try and make it a near-natural habitat so that the animals don't feel they are in captivity," Raha said.
Old or wounded tigers often stray into forest villages looking for easy prey, such as people or livestock.
The riverine mangrove marshlands of the Sunderbans, along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, are one of the last surviving natural habitats of the tiger. The almost 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles) forest straddles India's West Bengal state and neighbouring Bangladesh.
Officials counted 274 tigers last year in the Indian part, also home to salt water crocodiles and rare river dolphins.
They said the old-age home would also treat injured and ailing tigers which, once treated, would be released back into the wild.
Tigers kill five to six people in the area each year.
Official estimates put India's tiger population at around 3,700, but conservationists say it could be less than 2,000.
A century ago, the number was thought to have been 40,000 but hunting and rampant poaching of tigers for their body parts -- used in traditional Chinese medicines -- has brought the animal closer to extinction.
In April, Singh set up a tiger task force to review the management of reserves. Last week, the environment ministry said that 114 tigers had been killed by poachers from 1999-2003.
