I should thank Aircell for the campaign save our tigers. This can sensitize the program. However, we need to a lot more. The issues are many more. The major cause of tiger death is due to poaching. As you can see here, tiger skins and other products such as nails, teeth, bones, head, etc. are in demand in several contries. Change of mind of the people is the most important for preventing such crimes. As long as there is a demand, poachers will be there.Second reason is the villagers living near the forest kill them for the fear of getting killed. Many time the big cats enter the nearby villages and carry off cattle and sheep. When injured, the tiger can become a man-eater too. The reason for this is they do not get sufficient prey in the wild and the forest areas are slowly dwindling. It is simple, when you take over their place, they enter your place. Government should now take serious measures to confine these predators. Fencing the major areas adjacent to villages or highways might be one option, though expensive. Good lighting, distractors to keep away the predators from coming near villages, electric fences that do not kill them can be good option.
Since the number of tigers have come down to such level, attempt can be made to radio-tag all of them so that we can monitor them effectively. Monitoring the tigers is one thing and the other is keeping watch on poachers. Just like we have intelligence for looking for terrorists, we can engage villagers for providing information. Incentives can be given to informers. Responsible persons in village can be provided with at least mobile phones with forest officials numbers.
Identity cards can be given to such paid as well as volunteering persons.
We need to monitor the antique shops and curiosity vendors. Since these happen in urban areas, we can utilize the college students for monitoring. They too can be given identity cards which they can flash it with pride.
Then there could be scientific methods that could be adopted for breeding in captivity and then release into forest. In vitro Fertilization method could be adopted. I do not think that we have enough experience as of today to clone the tigers. The cloned animals reaching the next generation without diseases or mutations need to be checked over a period of long time only.
Earmarking a vast area and securing for such breeding programs which give a natural setting for them to grow will be a good idea.
When we do this part of the cost can be born by one or more sponsors. We can publicize a program "Sponsor a Tiger Cub". What is more, the sponsor can have a photo with the cub and can christen the cub too. This will make the program more attractive and many celebrities will be happy to take part in this.
Those of you who are interested in volunteering can contact me. I also moot the idea of a Rally in all the major cities of the country on the same day and getting it covered by the mass media. If anyone is interested in organizing or participating, please do contact me.
Dr.T.Charles John Bhaskar
alphaomegaind@gmail.com
9840336320
