REPORT ON

THE CONSERVATION
OF TIGER

1. Common name: Tiger

Scientific name: Panthera tigris

Systematic position:-

Kingdom- Animalia
 Phylum- chordata

Class- mammalia

Order- Carnivora

Suborder- Feliformia

Family- Felidae

Subfamily- Pantherinae

Genus- Panthera

Species- P.tigris

2. Conservation status

By some estimates, a century ago 50,000 to 80,000 tigers roamed

India alone. Today, the tiger is classified as Endangered in the Red List of
Threatened Species published by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) and it is estimated that there are only 3,500 tigers remaining in
the wild worldwide.
3.Characteristics of the animal

The tiger is a powerful and colorful species of big cat. They are
native to isolated areas of Asia and east Russia. A tiger is
solitary in nature, marking out its territory and defending it
from other tigers. In order for it to survive and thrive in its own
habitat, the tiger has powerful physical features. From
razor-sharp teeth to muscular legs, he can catch prey and put
up a fight from potential poachers.
 🔹Size: An adult tiger can grow as long as 13 feet (4m) and
weigh up to 650 pounds (296kgs). The females are usually
smaller than the males. The size of a tiger depends on the
subspecies and the geographical location of its habitat. The up
to 480 pounds (218kgs) and measure just less than 11 feet
(3.4m). On the other hand, the Sumatran tiger who’s native to
the Indonesian island of Sumatra can weigh up to 265 pounds
(120kgs) and measures 8 feet (2.5m).

🔸Hair: Tigers have hair all over their body to insulate,

protect and camouflage themselves in their habitat. They have
two types of hair--guard hair and underfur. The guard hair is
long in length and protects the skin. The underfur is shorter
and traps air in order to insulate. The color of the hair provides
camouflage. There’s also a distinct dark striping pattern on its
hair and skin. Each tiger has its own individual pattern. They
are usually light orange to reddish in color. Some tigers whose
both parents have a mutated gene can be white in color with
brown stripes.

🔹Tail: An adult tiger’s tail can grow up to 3.3 feet (1m) in

length. It also uses its tail to communicate. If he is relaxed, then
the tail hangs loosely. If he is feeling aggressive, he’ll move the
tail quickly from side to side. Alternatively, he’ll hold it low and
twitch it every once in a while.

🔸 Teeth and Jaw: The tiger uses his powerful jaw to trap and
kill prey. Each tiger has approximately 30 razor-sharp teeth in
its mouth. Tigers have the largest canines of all big cat species.
The canines can grow up to 3 inches (7.6cm) in length and are
used to sever the prey’s neck. Back teeth are used to shear meat
off the prey’s bone. The small, front incisors pick small pieces of
meat and feathers from prey. The older the tiger, the more
worn down the teeth get. In the wild if a tiger’s teeth are too
worn down and become useless, he could die from starvation.

🔹Legs and Claws: Thanks to a muscular pair of legs, the tiger

is a fast predator. Five sharp claws on each foot are a vital
weapon against any prey or threat to the tiger. The tiger
scratches its claws against trees to sharpen them. A sheath
covers them when they aren’t needed. The claws allow a tiger
to climb and grasp things. A male’s paws are larger than that
of a female tiger.

🔸Eyesight:The tiger has good survival skills with strong

eyesight. It has large pupils and lenses, which allows it to see
clearly in the daytime. During the nighttime, the tiger can see
six times more clearly than humans. This is why it will often
hunt for prey at night.

4.Habitat

An animals habitat is the area in which it would naturally

choose to live. Generally, each species will have a fairly specific
habitat that displays certain characteristics and boasts
particular features that cater to that animals needs.

Tigers can live in a wide range of habitats, and are commonly

found in:
.Evergreen forests

.Mangrove swamps

.Tropical rainforests

.Savannahs

.Grasslands

.Rocky mountains

The ideal habitat needs to fulfil three main requirements for

the animal. There needs to be 1) shelter, 2) food and 3) water.
Tigers require shelter to remain concealed from potential prey
as they stalk their victim and threats (which are, usually, from
human sources), as well as for protection when the female has
cubs. Food comes in the form of prey, for which the tiger spends
much of its life hunting. When there is interference with the
population numbers of the prey, the tigers lives are in serious
danger. In terms of water, there needs to be enough to sustain
the tigers themselves as well as their prey. They are also
susceptible to high temperatures and enjoy cooling down in
refreshing water. They are excellent swimmers and can pursue
their prey into relatively deep water.These requirements are
fulfilled in various areas around the world. However, Asia is
certainly the most abundant home of these endangered
creatures.

The most prolific areas in which to find the various subspecies

of tigers are the whole of India, the lower parts of the
Himalayan mountain range, the mangrove swamps of West
Bengal and the dense vegetation of the various forests of the
Far East.

5.Distribution: Tigers are native to Asia, and historically they

had a distribution from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to
Siberia in the north and Indonesia and even in Borneo and the
Philippines in the south, populating most of Asia and the
Indian subcontinent. However, their distribution range has
reduced dramatically in just one century.

At present, its distribution only includes Southeast Asia, India,

some Russian regions and western China. In short, it is an
Asian animal, found only in 13 or 14 countries including China,
India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Malaysia,
Cambodia, Burma, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal and
perhaps North Korea.
The last century saw the tigers disappear from two islands in
Indonesia, Java, and Bali, so they now live on only one island
in that country, Sumatra. The fossil evidence suggests that they
also lived in Borneo and Palawan, Philippines. In the same
way, they inhabited from the Caucasus region and the Caspian
Sea to Siberia and from there to the south reaching the
Indonesian islands.

6.Present threat: Most declining tiger populations are

threatened primarily by habitat loss and fragmentation,
poaching and wildlife trade, declining prey base and
human-tiger conflict.India’s tiger population has been
consistently rising since 2006 but its habitat and corridor faces
threat from mining activities. With the Indian government
boosting mining, the threat to tigers is expected to
grow.According to the latest report released by the
government, tiger habitats across the country are facing threat
from mining activities. Over 1,000 tigers in India are estimated
to be living outside tiger reserves.The authorities maintain that
tiger reserves and corridors are not diverted for mining and
infrastructure but there are many examples that prove
otherwise. There are instances where disturbed tiger corridors
have resulted in tiger islands limiting the national animal to a
particular territory.

7.Conservation strategies of tiger: The authorities maintain

that tiger reserves and corridors are not diverted for mining
and infrastructure but there are many examples that prove
otherwise. There are instances where disturbed tiger corridors
have resulted in tiger islands limiting the national animal to a
particular territory.Here are some practical steps you can take
to help save the tiger:

🔵 Spread the word:

Tell others that the tiger and its habitat are under
threat and that they need our help. You can form forums (or
join existing ones) on the web for discussions and exchange
views on tiger conservation.

🔵Be a responsible tourist:

The wilderness is to be experienced and not to be
disturbed and polluted. Follow the forest department
guidelines when visiting any wilderness area, tiger reserve in
particular. As the saying goes ‘Don’t leave anything behind
except foot steps, and don’t take anything except memories.

🔵Voice your concerns with the policy makers:

If you are really concerned and feel that more
needs to be done for tiger conservation, then write polite letters
to the decision makers - the Prime Minister, the Minister for
Environment and Forests or even your local MP.

🔵Help prevent wildlife trade:

Say ‘NO’ to tiger trade by refusing to buy tiger parts and items
prepared from tiger derivatives. Speak to tiger and wild
ungulate poachers and persuade them to give up poaching. If
you know of any information on poaching or trade of illegal
wildlife, inform the local law enforcement agencies. You can
also contact TRAFFIC- an organisation fighting the powerful
poachers and pass on the information to them.

🔵Reducing pressure on natural resources:

By reducing the use of products derived from forests, such as
timber and paper.
 PANNA TIGER RESERVE

UNESCO allots India’s Panna Tiger Reserve ‘Biosphere

Reserve’ status after it brought its tiger population back from
zero to 54 in ten years.Panna National Park in Madhya
Pradesh, which once saw its entire tiger population disappear,
has now been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that will
explore innovative ways to achieve eco-conservation and
sustainability.
According to the United Nations ( UN), a biosphere reserve is
where the international agency tries to reconcile the
differences between human activity and the preservation of
biodiversity. Every year, the status of UNESCO sets a few new
sites that will come under its umbrella of Biosphere reserves,
while others are removed.

fig: Panna Tiger Reserve,Madhya Pradesh.

This year India’s Panna Tiger Reserve, which spans 576

kilometers in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya
Pradesh, was among the few to be selected.“With only three
urban centres and over 300 villages, agriculture is the main
source of income, together with horticulture, forestry, and
cultural and eco-tourism,” said UNESCO in its description of
the reserve.

SUNDARBAN TIGER RESERVE

A national park, a tiger reserve and a biosphere

reserve in India the Sundarbans National Park is the choice of
every tiger lover coming to India for catching the mightiest
glimpses of this majestic creature along the Ganges delta of
India and Bangladesh. The delta is closely being crusted with
Mangrove forests to refurbish withthe most ardent Sunderban
area along the Gangetic plains that justifies the name; to mean
it as "the beautiful forest"and is being recognized as one of the
largest reserves for the Bengal Tigers with the presence of the
Sunderi tree species.A UNESCO World Heritage site, the
Sundarbans area covers 4624 sq km in India alone to
incorporate a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species,
including the salt-water crocodile. The present Sundarbans
National Park was declared as the core area of Sundarbans
Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. On May
4, 1984 it was declared a National Park.

fig: Sundarban Tiger Reserve

The average temperature of the Sundarbans area can be

marked as 20 °C- 48 °C drenched with heavy rainfalls with
humidity as high as 80% as it is close to the Bay of Bengal.
Monsoons can be experienced here during the months of
mid-June to mid-September.
8. Importance of the animal

Tigers play an important role in maintaining the

biodiversity of the environment they live in. Their
ecosystems support plants, other animals, and even
humans. This means that in the quest to protect tigers
and their habitats by declaring areas of land as
“protected,” in addition to protecting tigers, other
species and the overall biodiversity are also being
protected. Thus, tigers are used as an 'umbrella species'
by which to protect other plant and animal species.
Tigers are also sometimes referred to as a ‘keystone
species,’ which means that removing them from an
environment can lead to serious consequences for
biodiversity and ecology. There are suggestions that the
extinction of a large predator somewhere near the top
of the food chain, like the tiger, will result in a
corresponding increase in herbivore species and in
small predator species. Changes like this can have a
domino effect on the environment and can often be
disastrous.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
American Zoo and Aquarium Association. Communique.
"Save the Tiger Fund." November 1995, p. 13.

Bowdoin, Julia, et al., ed. AZA Annual Report on

Conservation and Science. Bethesda, MD: American
Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, 1994. (10)

Brakefield, Tom. Big Cats Kingdom of Might. Stillwater, MN:

Voyageur Press, 1993.

IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group (The World Conservation

Union). Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan Wild
Cats. IUCN: Switzerland, 1996.
 Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my
teacher
Dr.Gautam.Das,Dr.Ujjwal.Roy,Dr.Pallab.Roy,Smr.Shampa.B
ag,Dr.Jesmine.Mondal,Shri.Sanjay.Dey as well as our
principal Dr.Pradeep.Kumar.Maity who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on this topic, which
also helped me in doing a lot of research and I came to
know about so many things and I am really thankful to
them.Secondly I would also like to thank my parents and
friends who helped me a lot in finalising this project within
the limited time frame.