Fourteen-Eleven --- 14-11.
Sounds hauntingly familiar? To 9-11?
That’s the creepy feeling I got while watching the very touching ad on “Save Our Tiger” initiative being sponsored by Aircel. The condition of the cub looked so traumatic that I had tears in my eyes. Coincidently, the first time I saw this ad I was having dinner; I felt guilty of being fortunate to have food in front of me while that poor little cub could even die hungry waiting for his mother who may not even return!
1411 is the number of Tigers left in our country, according to the latest Tiger census! Yes, only 1411 Tigers are surviving in a nation that claims to have Tiger as its national animal!
If we do not act fast for preserving the remaining Tiger population, the fading roar of all those millions massacred will keep haunting us, forever, like 9-11 does!
But who is responsible for this pathetic state of affairs?
Of course, the Indian government; the scores of ministries and departments and NGOs responsible for Tiger conservation in India. And there are plenty: Project Tiger, Tiger Protection Force, WWF India, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Wildlife Protection Society of India, Save the Tiger Fund, etc. etc. to name a few. Interestingly, India is a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) and also a member of eight nations SAWTI (South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiatives). Still, the only aspect that got comprehensively neglected by all accountable was the proper and honest utilization of huge funds for the cause!
Tiger being one of the most beautiful and magnificent creations of God – though also awe-inspiring! - has always been a prized catch and fascinating for humans! Even today, Tiger is polled to be the most popular of all animals in the world! However, the fast dwindling number of this most charismatic megafauna forced the world to declare it as an endangered species and enforce a ban on its killing in 1973. But, that hasn’t worked as we see from Tigers remaining number today: 3500 worldwide and in India, 1411 only!
The massive decline in Tiger population has been because of a complex set of factors: from rampant poaching to escalating deforestation to increasing loss of natural habitat to minimizing wildlife resources to organized international criminal networks in illegal parts-trading to tiger trafficking to retaliatory killings by humans. Shockingly, in India, the Tiger Reserves, National Parks and Sanctuaries are the least safe of the places for a Tiger to survive!
Sounds hauntingly familiar? To 9-11?
That’s the creepy feeling I got while watching the very touching ad on “Save Our Tiger” initiative being sponsored by Aircel. The condition of the cub looked so traumatic that I had tears in my eyes. Coincidently, the first time I saw this ad I was having dinner; I felt guilty of being fortunate to have food in front of me while that poor little cub could even die hungry waiting for his mother who may not even return!
1411 is the number of Tigers left in our country, according to the latest Tiger census! Yes, only 1411 Tigers are surviving in a nation that claims to have Tiger as its national animal!
If we do not act fast for preserving the remaining Tiger population, the fading roar of all those millions massacred will keep haunting us, forever, like 9-11 does!
But who is responsible for this pathetic state of affairs?
Of course, the Indian government; the scores of ministries and departments and NGOs responsible for Tiger conservation in India. And there are plenty: Project Tiger, Tiger Protection Force, WWF India, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Wildlife Protection Society of India, Save the Tiger Fund, etc. etc. to name a few. Interestingly, India is a signatory to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) and also a member of eight nations SAWTI (South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiatives). Still, the only aspect that got comprehensively neglected by all accountable was the proper and honest utilization of huge funds for the cause!
Tiger being one of the most beautiful and magnificent creations of God – though also awe-inspiring! - has always been a prized catch and fascinating for humans! Even today, Tiger is polled to be the most popular of all animals in the world! However, the fast dwindling number of this most charismatic megafauna forced the world to declare it as an endangered species and enforce a ban on its killing in 1973. But, that hasn’t worked as we see from Tigers remaining number today: 3500 worldwide and in India, 1411 only!
The massive decline in Tiger population has been because of a complex set of factors: from rampant poaching to escalating deforestation to increasing loss of natural habitat to minimizing wildlife resources to organized international criminal networks in illegal parts-trading to tiger trafficking to retaliatory killings by humans. Shockingly, in India, the Tiger Reserves, National Parks and Sanctuaries are the least safe of the places for a Tiger to survive!
Sloganeering and candle light vigils and protest marches will not work in India, anymore, as they haven’t so far. Nevertheless, I greatly admire the initiative undertaken by Aircel to re-focus on Tiger protection. The concerned authorities need to be made and held accountable for honest utilization of funds and deliver on the promises and objectives. There has to be sincere and serious efforts in Tiger preservation. Otherwise, the day is not far - in fact very near - when India will lose its 1411 surviving Tigers and the name Panthera tigris will remain only in books as an extinct species. The only ray of hope visible to me apparently is that, may be, a day will come when – in reality – someone will set up a “Tiger-rasic Park” to resurrect Tigers on our Planet Earth as God’s one of the most wonderful creations for the humans to see, and admire, again!
Let us do something concrete to increase 1411 to a safe number to start with, before 14-11 becomes a haunting number! Coincidently, 2010 is the “Year of Tiger” as per Chinese astrology. Let’s make 2010 the “Year of Tiger” for India as well!
Let us Save Our Tigers!
(For more info visit www.saveourtigers.com)
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