A non-profit organization for environmental preservation.
Nature's Guardian is dedicated to helping preserve endangered
species, like the tiger. In recent years much media attention has been given
to the decline in the overall tiger population. Something needs to be done
now to assure the future of this magnificent animal -- a symbol of physical
beauty, power and grace. Declining tiger populations along with the news
of extensive tiger poaching (their bodily parts are widely sought in Asian
markets for medicines and aphrodisiacs) has received worldwide publicity
and greatly alarmed conservationists. A few wildlife sanctuaries (where
human intrusions such as farming, logging and burning are forbidden) and
laws controlling tiger hunts have helped to increase tiger populations in
these protected areas, but limited resources and training have also hindered
these efforts.
An accurate understanding of the tiger's habits -- what it requires to survive -- is needed to help preserve them. (How many can live in a particular forest? What kind of prey do they eat? How long do tigers live? And most importantly, how do tigers respond to man-made changes in their environments.) These are important questions, the answers to which are critical in shaping plans to protect and increase tiger populations. The tigers future depends on them.
The 250 square-mile Nagarahole National Forest Tiger Preserve, located in Karnataka, South India is home to more than an estimated 100 tigers. It is estimated that half of the world's 5,000 tigers live in India and Nepal. Under the expert guidance of K. Ullas Karanth, and sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, studies have been underway since 1986 to answer some of these basic questions about the tiger species. Karanth uses radiotelemetry, along with a lot of hard work and computer analysis to track tigers from birth to death. Reliable techniques for monitoring tiger numbers, so as to measure the effectiveness of protective measures and to train park managers and biologists in these methods, is also a central focus of Karanth's study.
Additionally, a public awareness project has been launched as part of the Wildlife Conservation Society's global Tiger Campaign, in an effort to alert Asian consumers that their demands are causing the disappearance of the tiger in the wild. For more information on the Global Tiger Campaign, please write to the Office of Public Affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society, Department P, Bronx, NY 10460