32 tigers dead in first four months of 2012

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Project Tiger is not the great success story that the government would have you believe.

India has lost 32 tigers in the last four months with two tigers having being killed last month in Tadoba Tiger Reserve by poachers using iron foot-traps.

Fourteen of these tigers have been lost to poachers till May 2012, minister for environment and forests Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters on the sidelines of the first stocktaking meeting to review the implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme.

“The remaining 18 tigers died natural deaths and we are constantly looking into reasons for this,” the minister said.

She does not have to look far. Tiger experts admit there has been a surge in demand for tiger parts across East Asia.

Sabri Zain, campaign director for Traffic International, pointed out, “Traditionally, tigers were poached for their body parts to meet demand for traditional medicines. But today, sizeable neo-rich populations in China and Vietnam eats tiger meat and are seen drinking tiger bone wine purely because it gives them a special status in society.”

“Increasing quantities of tiger meat are being consumed and tiger bone products are being given as gifts because these are seen to be indications that the neo-rich have arrived in society,” Zain said.

The elite populations of Indonesia, Thailand and Burma are also imitating these trends because they too want to be seen consuming this 'exotic' product.