Co-existing with Tigers Outside Reserves

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 3- Environment

Introduction

India has achieved remarkable success in tiger conservation through Project Tiger, making it home to over 70% of the world’s wild tigers. However, the growing tiger population has increased dispersal beyond protected areas, with 35–40% of tigers now living outside Tiger Reserves. This has created new conservation and governance challenges, as protecting tigers must now go hand in hand with safeguarding human lives and livelihoods, leading to the launch of the Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) initiative.

India’s Tiger Conservation Success Story

1. Project Tiger transformed tiger conservation: Since its launch in 1973, the protected area network has expanded from 9 reserves (18,278 sq km) to 58 reserves (84,488 sq km), covering about 2.6% of India’s land area.
2. Remarkable recovery of tiger population: India’s tiger population increased from 1,411 in 2006 to 3,682 in 2022, making the country home to more than 70% of the global wild tiger population.
3. Success created a new conservation challenge: As tiger populations increased and core habitats became saturated, more tigers naturally dispersed beyond protected areas.
4. Growing presence outside reserves: According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), nearly 35–40% of India’s tigers now live outside designated Tiger Reserves, increasing interactions with people.
5. Shared landscapes increase risks: Tigers moving into areas with villages, farms, roads and other infrastructure face accidental encounters, livestock attacks, rescue operations and public anxiety, creating ecological, social and administrative challenges.

Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR)

A. What is TOTR?

A new conservation initiative: Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to conserve tigers living outside protected areas. It extends active tiger management to shared landscapes where a large number of tigers now live.

B. Objectives

1. Conserving tigers beyond protected areas: TOTR aims to conserve tigers living outside Tiger Reserves through a scientific, landscape-based approach, while protecting human lives and livelihoods.
2. Shifting to proactive conservation: The initiative moves from responding to conflicts after they occur to preventing them through technology, preparedness and community participation.
3. Strengthening coexistence: TOTR seeks to create long-term coexistence by reducing conflict and building trust between local communities and forest departments.

C. Key Features

1. Pilot-based implementation: TOTR has been launched as a pilot programme so that future policy is based on evidence generated under real field conditions.
2. Scientific selection of areas: Based on the All India Tiger Estimation 2022, the pilot covers 40 forest divisions across nine States, selected from 212 forest divisions where tiger presence was recorded.
3. Coverage beyond Tiger Reserves: TOTR extends active tiger management to 205 forest divisions, where nearly one-third of India’s tigers live. It is supported by an ₹88 crore allocation under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund.
4. Two complementary pillars: The first pillar strengthens conflict management through better communication systems, rapid response teams and rescue infrastructure. The second pillar promotes coexistence through community participation, awareness programmes and timely compensation.

Significance of TOTR

1. Conservation beyond protected areas: TOTR accepts that tigers move naturally across landscapes and cannot be conserved only inside protected reserves.
2. Supporting habitat connectivity: Managing forests outside reserves helps maintain movement between habitats, allowing dispersing tigers to find new territories and support genetic exchange.
3. Building public trust: TOTR treats villagers as conservation partners through awareness programmes, community engagement and timely compensation.
4. Improving governance of shared landscapes: TOTR broadens conservation from protected areas to reserve forests and other landscapes where ecological processes and human livelihoods exist together.
5. Using technology for better management: Camera traps, GPS-enabled monitoring systems, drones and Artificial Intelligence improve surveillance, early warning systems and evidence-based decision-making.

Challenges and Concerns

1. Increasing human–tiger interactions: More tigers outside reserves increase the chances of human deaths, livestock losses, accidental encounters and prolonged rescue operations, placing pressure on forest departments and district administrations.
2. Need for stronger institutional capacity: Technology alone cannot reduce conflict. Well-trained forest staff, veterinarians and rescue teams are essential for quick and effective field responses.
3. Delays in compensation reduce public trust: States have compensation systems, but delays often create resentment among local communities. Simpler procedures and regular outreach are needed to build confidence.
4. Corridor protection remains a concern: While TOTR aims to improve tiger movement outside reserves, the NTCA has reduced the number of officially recognised tiger corridors from 192 to 32, raising concerns about habitat connectivity.
5. Risk from infrastructure development: Conservation experts warn that reduced official corridor recognition could expose important movement routes to mining, highways, power lines and other infrastructure projects.
6. Implementation needs accountability: The pilot programme will succeed only with sustained funding, clear coordination between the Centre and States, transparent use of the ₹88 crore allocation and regular public reporting on tiger movement, mortality and conflict.

Way Forward

1. Strengthen scientific implementation: The pilot phase should generate reliable field evidence to guide future expansion of the programme.
2. Protect ecological connectivity: Forest corridors outside protected areas should remain connected so dispersing tigers can move safely between habitats.
3. Build stronger community partnerships: Timely compensation, awareness programmes and continuous engagement can improve trust between local communities and forest departments.
4. Improve institutional preparedness: States should invest in trained personnel, rescue systems and modern technology to ensure quick and coordinated responses during conflict situations.
5. Ensure transparent governance: Regular monitoring, sustained funding and public access to implementation data can improve accountability and strengthen long-term conservation outcomes.

Conclusion

India’s tiger conservation has entered a new phase where protecting wildlife also means managing shared landscapes beyond protected areas. TOTR marks a shift towards science-based, landscape-level conservation that combines technology, community participation and better governance. Its success will depend on sustained implementation, ecological connectivity and cooperation between governments, local communities and conservation agencies to ensure long-term coexistence between people and tigers.

Question for practice:

Examine the significance of the Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) initiative in promoting human–tiger coexistence beyond protected areas.

Source: The Hindu