The Anthropocene is the term that describes the current era in Earth’s history when human activities are having a significant impact on the planet. It is an epoch filled with species extinction and species attrition in both numbers and range. The population of large carnivores are among the most affected species and recovering these animals that play important roles in ecosystems is a formidable challenge.
Tigers in Asia are a prime example of extirpation – removal of a species from a specific area. They have been eliminated in more than 90% of their historic Asian range over the past century. A new study, published in Science has found that tigers in India are making a comeback.
India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority estimates that between 2010 and 2022, India’s tiger population grew from 1,706 to 3,682. Tigers are thriving not only on protected lands but also near some human communities.
Tigers are gone from poorer areas where poaching was prevalent and from areas affected by the violent conflict associated with India’s Maoist rebellion. On the other hand, the big cats can be found near some prosperous communities where poaching is rare. Farmers keep cattle in enclosures to protect them from tigers.
The success in protecting tigers in India could provide some insights for Europe where wolves are making a comeback, and perhaps even in the American West where the resurgence of wolf populations is triggering a violent backlash.
Large predators can survive in the modern world with creative thinking and willingness to find a balance between protection and coexistence.
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India Doubled its Tiger Population in a Little More Than a Decade
Photo, posted January 8, 2014, courtesy of Roderick Eime via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
