KOCHI: While the national tiger census has brought cheers registering a 6.74%, increase in the population across the country, the situation in Western Ghats, including Kerala, paints a grim picture. According to the data released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the number of tigers in Western Ghats has declined from 981 in 2018 to 824 in 2022, registering a decline of 157 in numbers.
The situation is particularly alarming in Kerala as there is a sharp decline in Wayanad Sanctuary, the biggest tiger habitat in Kerala, and Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. The silver lining is the healthy habitat in Periyar Tiger Reserve, where there has been a marginal increase in population.
As per the census data, the tiger count has gone up from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,167 in 2022. Despite being one of the eight biodiversity hotspots in the world, the tiger population declined in the Western Ghats due to human intervention and developmental activities.
“While tiger populations within protected areas have either remained stable or increased, tiger occupancy outside of these regions has significantly decreased in areas, such as the Wayanad landscape. A decrease in tiger occupancy was also observed beyond the protected area border of Anamalai-Parambikulam complex. Although tiger populations in the Periyar landscape have remained stable, tiger occupancy outside of Periyar has decreased,” says the report.
However, Periyar Tiger Reserve retained the first rank in Management Effectiveness Evaluation with a score of 94.38 while Parambikulam secured the 18th rank with a score of 84.09 among the 51 tiger reserves.
“Various parameters including habitat quality, species protection, effective control of illegal activities like poaching, prey base and conservation activities were considered for the ranking. The tiger population in Periyar Tiger Reserve has remained stable and there is a slight increase also. The PTR has connectivity to Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur. We have been able to protect the habitat in a healthy way,” said PTR Field Director P P Pramod.
“The tiger is a territorial animal and apart from habitat degradation, intense internal fights can also cause a decline in population. The census data has proved the arguments regarding over-population of tiger in Kerala forests wrong. The issues regarding degradation of habitat need to be addressed,” said conservation activist M N Jayachandran.
“The government should release the sanctuary-wise data regarding tiger population to clear doubts regarding the decline in tiger population. Even if the claim is accepted, the tiger population in Wayanad Sanctuary is still high. The territory of a tiger extends to 20 sq km and Wayanad which houses around 150 tigers can hold only 20 tigers. Tiger attacks in Wayanad are a reality and we need concrete steps to protect the lives of people living in forest fringe areas,” said Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA) chairman Alex Ozhukayil.