Context

• India’s 14 Tiger Reserves in India which received the accreditation of the Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS).
• The ‘Status of Leopards, Co-predators and Megaherbivores-2018’ report is released, stating the fact that conservation of tigers leads to the conservation of entire ecosystem.
• Tiger Conservation a Symbol of Conservation of Forests.
• During all India tiger estimation 2018, leopard population was also estimated within the forested habitats in tiger occupied states of the country.
• The overall leopard population in tiger range landscape of India in 2018 was estimated at 12,852 (SE range 12,172 - 13,535).
• The 14 tiger reserves which have been accredited are
  • Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam
  • Satpura, Kanha and Panna in Madhya Pradesh
  • Pench in Maharashtra
  • Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar
  • Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh
  • Sunderbans in West Bengal
  • Parambikulam in Kerala
  • Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka and
  • Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.

Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS)

• It has been agreed upon as accreditation tool by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs).
• It has been developed by tiger and protected area experts.
• Officially launched in 2013, it sets minimum standards for effective management of target species and encourages assessment of these standards in relevant conservation areas.
• Of the 13 tiger range countries Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Russia have registered and rolled out CA|TS, whilst discussion is ongoing with Bhutan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and China.
• CA|TS is a set of criteria, which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation.
• CA|TS is an important part of Tx2, the global goal to double wild tiger numbers by the year 2022.

WHY IS CA|TS IMPORTANT?

• Protected areas are a good strategy for retaining forest cover, however their role in protecting wildlife depends on the quality of management.
• Many studies show that tiger numbers can continue to decline in protected areas, particularly due to bushmeat (tiger prey) hunting or the poaching of tigers themselves for trophies, traditional medicines and other illegal activities.
• Until CA|TS, there has not been a set of criteria, which not only provide clarity on management of tiger sites, but also encourage further development and sharing of best practice across the tiger range countries.

WHY TIGERS?

• Tigers are a large, charismatic species that require rigorous conservation efforts and best practices to ensure their future in the wild.
• This, combined with their need for vast areas of forest, make tigers an “umbrella species”.
• By focusing on tigers, and ensuring the forest they live in is protected to the highest standard, all the other species in the same forest benefit too.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1740353

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