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Tiger Relocation in India

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Fateh Singh of Tiger Watch (in hat) counsels Dasarath Mogia at the Faludi Forest Department range office on the edge of Ranthambore National Park. Dasarath, an ex-poacher who handed himself into forest officials, had just spent his first night in custody. Singh, with colleague Dharmendra Khandal, had paid Dasarath a visit to check on his well-being. It is alleged that Dasarath was beaten by forest guards during his first night in custody. Tiger Watch encourages poachers - many of them, including Dasarath, from the ostracised Mogia caste - to submit to the authorities by offering them and their families financial support and assistance with alternative livelihoods...Sariska National Park in Rajasthan was once home to dozens of tigers but by 2005 poaching had resulted in their complete eradication. Recognising the urgent need for intervention, the Indian and Rajasthan-state governments began the reintroduction of tigers into Sariska. Two cats were airlifted 200 km from Ranthambore National Park in June 2008. On November 5th an attempt to relocate a third tiger was postponed until later in the month. This relocation strategy is certainly an important part of the tiger conservation effort but many, including those like Dharmendra Khandal of the NGO Tiger Watch, argue that it will never be entirely successful without properly confronting the three essential issues that threaten tiger populations: poaching, habitat loss and the hunting of prey-base animals. In turn, these three issues cannot be addressed without acknowledging the malign influence of caste, poverty and poor administrative accountability. Poaching is almost exclusively undertaken by extremely poor and marginalised groups, including the Mogia caste who, without education, land and access to credit have limited alternative means of income. Many in the Mogia community also hunt bush meat for both their own consumption and to sell to others. This results in a depletion of the prey-base upon which tigers feed. E
Copyright
Tom Pietrasik
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4372x2906 / 2.8MB
Fateh Singh of Tiger Watch (in hat) counsels Dasarath Mogia at the Faludi Forest Department range office on the edge of Ranthambore National Park. Dasarath, an ex-poacher who handed himself into forest officials, had just spent his first night in custody. Singh, with colleague Dharmendra Khandal, had paid Dasarath a visit to check on his well-being. It is alleged that Dasarath was beaten by forest guards during his first night in custody. Tiger Watch encourages poachers - many of them, including Dasarath, from the ostracised Mogia caste - to submit to the authorities by offering them and their families financial support and assistance with alternative livelihoods...Sariska National Park in Rajasthan was once home to dozens of tigers but by 2005 poaching had resulted in their complete eradication. Recognising the urgent need for intervention, the Indian and Rajasthan-state governments began the reintroduction of tigers into Sariska. Two cats were airlifted 200 km from Ranthambore National Park in June 2008. On November 5th an attempt to relocate a third tiger was postponed until later in the month. This relocation strategy is certainly an important part of the tiger conservation effort but many, including those like Dharmendra Khandal of the NGO Tiger Watch, argue that it will never be entirely successful without properly confronting the three essential issues that threaten tiger populations: poaching, habitat loss and the hunting of prey-base animals. In turn, these three issues cannot be addressed without acknowledging the malign influence of caste, poverty and poor administrative accountability. Poaching is almost exclusively undertaken by extremely poor and marginalised groups, including the Mogia caste who, without education, land and access to credit have limited alternative means of income. Many in the Mogia community also hunt bush meat for both their own consumption and to sell to others. This results in a depletion of the prey-base upon which tigers feed. E