Covid-19 : Why Close The Tiger Parks?

After the frightening and murdering pandemic, we have developed cold feet and long ultra-sensitive ears. In this predicament, we have forgotten that the economy cannot be halted for long irrespective. Yes irrespective of the damage this bugger is doing, things will have to move on - albeit a paradigm will have to set in which will make us and the wildlife less susceptible to the pandemic. And we have enough time! Well nearly!

I have read that some people are interested in the closure of the tiger reserve during this pandemic which seems to cross over a year or more.

I am writing here (as an amateur) to plead for tiger tourism in our reserves. The show must go on!

The news of tigers being affected by coronavirus should not create panic since the conditions are different and so is the country. In the USA there are five thousand big cats in custody many in a private capacity and not part of an institution, such is the nature of policies that the country abides with.   

At the most, we should learn how to save tigers from this deadly pandemic from that incidence in captivity. We do have disease diagnostics and treatment centers for wild animals in India. 

People who are advocating the closure of National Parks and WLS for tiger tourism are displaying a haphazard and frenzied assessment. There are some points to consider regarding why tourism should be continued in these wildlife havens in India. 

• Tourists by regulation have to maintain distance from wild animals, especially tigers during the excursion.     
• A large workforce that comprises the management - Rangers, beat guards, vets, officers, and sundry labor will not be stopped from entering the core zones. This aberration would certainly lead to poaching, wood logging, and frequent trespass within the core.  Hence nobody will be able to prevent nearness to these animals in the core. 
• Human intervention often required will again bring the vets and helpers in close contact with the wild animals.
• In the buffer zones there is no check on human activities, hence chances of big cats and other animals closing up on humans are maximum. Closing tourism in the park will not prevent these incursions.  
• Most important we have forgotten the economy of the guides, drivers, and local small businesses. The resorts may not find it feasible to pay the staff they will definitely be reduced to the bare minimum.
  
  This extensive lockdown and the time of reopening of the parks in October 2020 have given us a lot of time to get things in proper order. And our Governments have been very alert and sincere in tackling this malady that would certainly act against harsh economic measures.
  
  The detractors will anyway find out how the wheels of the economy churn in spite of the pandemic. It is simply impossible to halt economic activities for a long time. I am talking about people who survive on daily wages and those with little savings. They will have to gear up to work pandemic or no pandemic. Mind You!
  
  Another factor we have to consider is that people in India are less affected by the pandemic, I mean infected. Secondly, a distancing and preventing mechanism is taking place. And most important tests and diagnoses are in place or increasing substantially in the country. This is the biggest safeguard against the further spread of disease.
  
  I am sure International or inbound arrivals would not be allowed to enter India without confirmation of their status.  Those who are found positive whether in their country before going on board, or in India upon entering will not be allowed to enter the parks as well.
  
  Local staff, I believe the forest department would have already tested them. The staff pertaining to a local institution in shops and commerce will have to carry a green certificate having been tested in recent times. 
  
  Those who are aware of our ecosystems and understand wilderness know very well how strong the immunity is among wild animals. Tigers and megafauna have immunity far stronger than humans and certainly those surviving in the harsh conditions of the wild World.
  
  I am writing as an amateur naturalist...but we have the right thinkers amongst our wildlife managers and policymakers hence sagacity will prevail.
  
  We must carry on with the show next October Onward!   

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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, and environmental issues. 

He also provides SEO and Website Content in English.

Uday Teaches Internet Marketing Classes in his hometown of Jabalpur in the Summer.  

He can be contacted at: 

pateluday90@hotmail.com

09755089323

Much Ado About Nothing - Tiger Tourism Ban

After so much of involvement of Legal System nothing has come out of the case. Those who were favoring the ban on tiger tourism have been proved wrong and their myopia exposed. The misguided approach has caused revenue loss to eco-tourism industry as whole since many bookings were cancelled.Colossal loss will not be recovered this year.  Inbound tourists arrive in India with advance arrangements due to travel regulations and prior bookings.  

New Safaris will be conducted in according to guidelines of NTCA as per the Supreme Court. Tourism in twenty percent of core zones or critical tiger habitat is assured. The whole tiger community is in an elated state. Lively hood of many dependents has been saved.  

Read More: Tiger Tourism Ban News

Tiger Tourism Beginning of the end

The bleak future unfolds as closure of tourism in tiger reserves appears imminent. There is hope that some space will be given but this is merely a conjecture. Tourism in buffer is just a joy ride in case of most of the reserves. The buffer zone suffers from intrusion and lot of other disturbance, secondly the ecosystem at most of the places is not intact. These factors do not contribute to stable wild populations. Certain endangered and niche dwellers are confined to the core zone.     

Hence tourist interested in wildlife watching will diminish and they will not arrive here. The park (Read Buffer) would be visited by holiday makers interested more in revelry than anything else.   

The major impact will be on forest guides and drivers apart from closure of most of the hotels. The wide scale unemployment will result in lots of frustration. These are the people with excellent knowledge of the whole forests, animal movements and behavior. They will be easy target for the vicious network of poachers. If tourism is practically closed then adverse means of income could be sought by many. The only answer  that seems plausible is a hefty compensation or large scale induction in the department in case of those who are in temporary status or not in the muster roll at all.         

The loss of income to the administration would mean less conservation and management efforts. Another loss would be that of awareness that was regularly created. Status maintenance would suffer or would be restricted to the department.The valuable contribution of amateur and professional wildlife photographers and observers would be practically negligible. I believe the access to core zone will remain open to the privileged dignitaries.            

With full respect to Hon. Supreme Courts Ruling time will tell the impact of the changing paradigm.

Who killed the tiger?

The cat and mouse game goes on while the tiger slithers away in India. Tourism certainly did not kill the tiger. By the time tiger tourism came into picture the magnificent animal was already in state of imminent extinction. That it still survives is because of robust equity created by tourism and its own charismatic appeal. (Conservation measures as well.)

Others see India as a soft state, but behind the garb of populist democracy some pernicious control mechanism and  authoritative systems still exists. This post colonial phenomena is the legacy of British Rule in India. What gives us credit is emergence of corrupt practices and phenomenal ability to mismanage and indecision.     

Nowhere it is apparent that tourism is the mother of decreasing population of tigers in India. Then will the spaces in our tiger reserves devoid of tourist offer poachers free fall all? Will the sentinels become complacent? Will the tigers breed more? Certainly there is lot of "will" here so time will tell.  

If fruitful tourism is banned, it will be very hard hitting. The first to suffer will be the locals who will loose employment and other means of income that tourism generates. The industry as whole will suffer and loose massive investment made. It would also be depressing for dedicated managers and staff who wish to see their labor appreciated.  

You have noticed that I have used the word fruitful tourism. Wildlife or Ecotourism is a highly competitive industry that competes globally. Large number of inbound tourist arrive in India for birding and wildlife watching. Fact remains that people wish to see the tiger apart from its brethren in the food chain. Unproductive visits would mean an impressive drop in the inbound visitors. The repercussion would be larger than perceived.     

Point of my writing this is that the tiger faces threats from other quarters. Should not we spend the time and resources fighting actual threats unitedly?  So much focus on tourism is bewildering since we have years of data that is suggestive of proper management but not ban. Maximum damage is caused by human settlements on forest and grassland ecosystems in India. Tourism inside the reserves can best be described as transitory without any appreciable resource utilization within.   

The management of tiger reserves do take proactive and protective measures whence question of breeding or other urgency arrives. Forest blocks have been closed for tourism in case of animal breeding and other urgency. This impromptu practice has been going on for years. This is not related to critical tiger habitat, a term that ensures the survival of species in a smaller area. Except for species that survive in an echo niche, tigers and leopards roam all the the reserve, buffer zone included.   

This is not a reaction to Hon. Supreme Court interim judgment nor is it a commentary on any institution. This is authors own perception of life in India.