Odisha needs to change its tiger tale
Around the time the country was celebrating half a century of tiger conservation and an impressive growth in the big cat population, Odisha was busy pondering over how its own tiger story went wrong. As per the latest All India Tiger Estimation report (2022), the state’s tiger count has reported a further drop—from 28 in 2018 to 20 in 2022. Interestingly, the Similipal Tiger Reserve has 16 of these majestic predators, which also means the rest of Odisha has next to nothing. The state government was not exactly chuffed with the 100% jump in Similipal’s tiger headcount because it expected more and declared it would conduct its own estimation during the winters.
Among the first set of tiger reserves in India to be notified in 1973–74 when Project Tiger came into being, Similipal is a healthy habitat but has flattered to deceive, given its size and prey base. Dented by a poor protection network following Maoist attacks, it has seen a dip in tiger numbers in the past two decades. However, in the last five years, the management and conservation practices have improved. While poaching continues to be a big worry—two forest field staff were killed recently—intense scrutiny by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Odisha government’s swift response has brought back that much-needed focus on security and management effectiveness. Similipal is bound to change for good in the days to come.
The challenges are elsewhere. Satkosia, the second tiger reserve in the state, has not received commensurate attention. A vibrant habitat, it was notified in 2007. However, it has also seen its tigers disappear. Satkosia must be revived if Odisha wants to strengthen its tiger population. Currently, this reserve battles high anthropogenic pressures and the tardy pace of relocation of human settlements which dot the landscape, unique for its diverse composition of species endemic to the Deccan Peninsula, the Eastern Ghats and even the Western Ghats.
Though the state government attempted an ambitious reintroduction project in 2017–18 by translocating a pair of big cats from Madhya Pradesh, it had a disastrous end. While fresh attempts must be made, the state should look at creating more protected areas for tigers. It can begin with the Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, whose notification has been pending for the last 15 years. New territories, protected corridors and a renewed conservation focus can bring the stripes of orange and black back to Odisha.