It is considered that a forest that has tigers’ presence is rich in biodiversity. Although the lion is called the king of the jungle, a tiger’s dominance is universally accepted. Safaris organised in our country to observe tigers are wildly popular amongst nature enthusiasts. Till now, 53 tiger reserves have been set up in the country under Project Tiger programme. The closest such tiger reserve from Goa is at Dandeli in Karnataka. In recent times, many Goans have turned to Dandeli to experience jungle safaris and river rafting. Never before has there been any news that the tiger reserve in Dandeli has threatened the livelihood of the locals. On the contrary, the project has only given a bigger push to tourism in the area. In fact, who are humans to provide habitat to someone as majestic as tigers?
A fully grown male tiger separates himself from his mother first, followed by separation from his female siblings. He has to establish his own kingdom. It is the law of nature. In an attempt to form his own territory, a tiger wanders far away from his mother and his sisters. He either acquires land which is not ruled by any tiger or has to fight with the one who has already formed his boundaries. Apart from winning the battle with the reigning tiger, he also has to win over his queen consort. The more difficult task is to maintain the territory intact, because there is always a possibility of a stronger male tiger coming along to challenge him. A tiger has to constantly patrol his territory to maintain his supremacy over the land. Firstly, humans have to come out of the misunderstanding that we have provided safe habitat for tigers just because we have initiated the tiger reserve programme. Secondly, we have to accept the tigers’ presence in the Goan forests. How can one deny the truth that humans were the ones who killed 5 tigers in Sattari’s forests? Therefore even if the tiger census was to be kept aside, there is no need for more proof to acknowledge the presence of tigers in our forests.
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Once an area is notified as a wildlife sanctuary the people will have to be rehabilitated. It is not right to not notify the region as a wildlife sanctuary just because the decision will be politically problematic. The stance to entirely reject tiger reserves is inappropriate. Human race is part of nature and human settlements continue to exist in wildlife sanctuaries. The laws can be amended to safeguard such settlements. Human welfare should be at the heart of any law. Tiger’s presence in the forest indicates that the respective forest is very rich in biodiversity. A tiger’s presence is directly linked with the presence of ruminants (grass eating animals) in the forest. A deer, sambar deer, antelopes are some of the ruminants and their presence is a clear signal that the forest is rich with grass, trees and shrubs. Naturally, such forests are a paradise for insects and small animals. Birds of various species who prey on these smaller animals and insects are also found in these forests and expectedly so.
In short, a forest with tigers is a forest which is rich in biodiversity. A powerful animal like a tiger sits atop the food chain with no natural predators. It’s because animals like tigers and the number of ruminants such as deers stay in control. Tigers hunt down and kill animals which are weak, ill and are unable to survive. Obviously, in a forest, it is all about survival of the fittest. Offsprings of only healthy animals are bound to be fit. However, the ruminants will overgrow in numbers rampantly if tigers were to go extinct. Overgrown ruminants will feast on grass, shrubs and trees at large which will bring the existence of insects and small animals under danger. Naturally, the birds will be left with no food either. The decrease in trees will lead to rise in the incidents of soil erosion which in turn weaken the soil’s ability to hold the ground water. The water of rivers and nullahs will dry up.
A few years down the line, an evergreen forest will turn into a barren piece of land. It must be taken into consideration that human’s existence depends on the existence of tigers. Ruminants from the jungles which do not have tigers destroy the crops from the nearby villages and we all are seeing the rise in such incidents. The extinction of tigers will affect humans be it for food or for water. Those who lack the conceptual depth to think about the environment and nature, should at least think selfishly about their own existence and that would be enough to understand the gravity of the situation. Humans will survive only if tigers do.
