BHUBANESWAR: The state government has sought registration and accreditation of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) under the Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) framework, a globally recognised benchmark for excellence in tiger conservation and protected area management.
In a letter to director general of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) SP Yadav, state’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha mentioned the government’s decision to nominate Similipal for registration and accreditation under the CA|TS framework.
Describing Similipal as an ecologically vital and compact forest block spread across a contiguous landscape of about 2,750 sq km, Jha stated that the reserve was among the original nine tiger reserves established under Project Tiger in 1973 and holds immense national and global conservation significance.
The letter highlighted Similipal’s remarkable ecological recovery achieved through intensive protection measures, scientific management interventions and the integration of advanced monitoring systems.
The reserve had once witnessed a drastic decline in its tiger population, with only a single adult male tiger reportedly surviving at one stage. However, sustained conservation efforts have led to a steady revival of the population, including the globally unique pseudo-melanistic tigers for which Similipal is renowned, Jha said.
The PCCF (wildlife) also pointed out that the reserve’s operational improvements were reflected in the latest Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in which Similipal secured an impressive merit score of 90.15 per cent, placing it in the ‘Excellent’ management category.
According to the nomination, the reserve’s approved Tiger Conservation Plan is fully aligned with the CA|TS framework. The field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve has been designated as the nodal officer to coordinate with the IBCA’s technical cell and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) Secretariat for submission of the formal compliance dossier.
Speaking to this paper, the PCCF (wildlife) said as of now no tiger reserve in Odisha has received CA|TS registration and accreditation. “The certification is a globally-recognised recognition of the highest standards of tiger conservation, protected area management and governance and we hope Similipal will become the first tiger reserve in the state to achieve this distinction,” he said.
