(Study Material for IPS LCE) Environment: Environment Movement - Project Tiger (1973)

The Beginning: ”Project Tiger”, a major wildlife-conservation initiative of Govt. of India, was launched in the year 1973 to save the Indian tiger from extinction. Similipal Tiger Reserve was one of the nine reserves chosen in the country to implement the project. With focus on the tiger, which is a ‘master predator’ and an ‘indicator species’ of the ecosystem, the project has paid attention to all issues relating to conservation of habitat in the tiger reserves. 
Some of the field activities under the aegis of Project Tiger cover the following:

• Enforcement of anti-poaching measures.

• Census and estimate of the numbers of carnivores, their prey animals.

• Habitat improvement measures,

• Water and soil conservation measures

• Ecodevelopment programmes and organization of alternate livelihood,

• Motivation and awareness of local people,

• Eliciting participation of students through nature camps and competitions.

• Capacity building of staff, 

• Development of telecommunication and road network

• Development and maintenance of other infrastructure

• Research, planning and monitoring of wildlife population and spatial istribution

• Management of ecotourism

Courtesy: various websites