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s t r i p e sBI-MONTHLY OUTREACH JOURNAL OF NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Volume 2 Issue 1 November-December 2010

STRIPESmailMy heartfelt thanks for this issue - this is marvellous. Lookingforward to seeing you in GTF meeting, as I have been asked toparticipate.Shant Raj JnawaliNTNC, Nepal

I m really delighted to receive STRIPES.Simply fabulous picsalong with quality material make this STRIPE reader's delight.You and your team deserves all kudos.Shafa'at HussainCCF, Ajmer

Thank you for keeping us updated with STRIPES. I did circulateprevious editions to my group of friends and in my organizationand many are interested knowing more about Project tiger, aswe stay in Bangalore, very close to 2 national parks (Bandipur &Nagarahole), As far as my profile is concerned I am working as aRisk management consultant in Genpact, and I am a member ofTeam-BHP, an auto enthusiast blog, Give India NGO and anamature photographer,Avijit [email protected]

Thanks for sending Stripes. It was fascinating to read and getupdates on tiger conservation.Urmila PingleMember NTCA

This report is very impressive and we are very proud of you andyour team. Thank you for sending it and we will distribute itwidely. Francisco DallmeierSmithsonian Institution, USA

Thank you sir, for providing opportunity to view your Newsletter regularly.Md. Mozaharul IslamBangladesh.

This issue carriesthe status of Valmiki,Buxa, Namdapha andManas Tiger Reserves.The appraisal has beendone by Special Teams

of NTCA, to focus on reserves havinglow tiger density. All these reserveshave site specific problems requiringspecial attention and support.Several useful suggestions haveemerged from the Special Teams,which are being acted upon incollaboration with States. It isencouraging to note that there is ageneral improvement in law and order situation inreserves like Valmiki, Manas and Buxa.

Besides national efforts, India is actively engaging withthe other range countries to strengthen tigerconservation. We have an ongoing MOU with Nepal and aprotocol on tiger with China. An Indian delegation

visited China for a bilateralcooperation in wildlife managementduring August/September, 2010.Several issues relating to control ofwildlife crime, tiger conservation,collaboration in research, trainingand capacity building were discussed.The implementation of the tigerconservation protocol and China'saccession to the Global Tiger Forumalso figured in the agenda. Both thecountries have expressed theirwillingness to share experiences andbest practices in management ofprotected areas including tiger

reserves. India participated in the Global Tiger Summit held at

St. Petersburg, Russia in November, 2010. The Summitadopted a declaration by the tiger range countries tocollaborate for strengthening the cause.

Dr Rajesh Gopal / Member-Secretary, NTCA

EDITOR Dr Rajesh Gopal Member Secretary NTCA

EDITORIALCONSULTANT Ananda Banerjee

EDITORIAL COORDINATORS P Yadav

FEEDBACK Annexe No 5 Bikaner House ShahjahanRoad New Delhi [email protected]

Cover photo Sachin Rai

s t r p e sn o t e f r o m t h e e d i t o r

Volume 2Issue 1

November-December

2010

TigerSummitThe St.PetersburgDeclarationon TigerConservationPg 13

ManagementBilateral

Cooperationin Wildlife

ManagementP16

iBI-MONTHLY OUTREACH JOURNAL OF NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Appraisal Valmiki Tiger Reserve,Manas Tiger Reserve, Buxa Tiger Reserve,Namdapha Tiger ReservePg 4-12

4 | November-December 2010 | STRIPES

APPRAISAL

The field visit and survey of Valmiki TigerReserve was done between September 7 and 14,2009 and the team interacted with a cross-

section of people including frontline staff, seniorofficials of the reserve and Bihar Forest Department,Principle Secretary (Environment and Forests) to thestate government, officials of the civil administration

and Sashastra Seema Bal, local MLA, communityrepresentatives and local villagers.

The team found that:1. Density of tiger and its prey is poor compared to

other tiger reserves in terai habitats of the country.However, in the recent years it has shown signs ofimprovement and most of the areas are occupied by

VALMIKITIGER RESERVE, BIHAR

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) constituted special teams, videletter no. 7-22/2009-NTCA, dated 10th August 2009, for an urgent appraisal of tigerreserves, having low tiger density and problems on account of extremistengineered disturbances.A team, comprised of Samir Kumar Sinha Dr. R. K. Singh Dr. Rathin Barman Dr. R. P.Mishra and Dr. D. S. Srivastava, was given the responsibility to appraise ValmikiTiger Reserve (Bihar) and Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam) on the terms of reference;1. Appraisal of status of tiger, co-predators and prey animals, 2. Protection effortstaken visà-vis the advisories of Project Tiger / NTCA, 3. Administrative / ecologicalproblems and managerial issues, and 4. Suggestions for restoring the area andeliciting local support to strengthen protection.

STRIPES | November-December 2010 | 5

tiger and co-predators. Wildlife monitoring system isnot up to the mark and field staff are poorly orientedtowards wildlife management.

2. The protection mechanism is not attuned to thecurrent need of stringent protection in tiger areas. Infact, the protection system that existed during theregime of State Forest Development Corporation isstill continuing without any change. Very few of theadvisories of NTCA / Project Tiger regarding theprotection measures are being followed.Infrastructure and human resources required foreffective protection is grossly inadequate. Poachingpressure on tiger and prey speciesseems to be low. It is also possiblethat due to poor surveillance andlow awareness level amongst thestaff, poaching cases are un-noticed.

3. Law and order situation hasimproved significantly and naxalproblem is negligible in the area.Few years back, these problemswere a cause of concern formanagement of the reserve.

4. Deployment of SashastraSeema Bal (SSB) inside the area hasstrengthened the protectionsystem of the reserve butestablishment of 10 border outposts (BoPs) inside the core areamight have negative bearings on itshabitat and wildlife.

5. The tiger reserve staff andmanagers are overburdened withterritorial works like regulation ofsaw mills and implementation offorestry related schemes of thestate government. This results intoreduced focus on the managementand protection of the reserve.

6. Procedures for settlements of rights as per theprovisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act areunderway, but notification of eco-sensitive zone, core/ critical area and buffer/peripheral area is yet to bedone. The state has not constituted an AdvisoryCommittee for the sanctuary, a mandatory provisionaccording to the Act.

7. Boundary demarcation is incomplete, whichcauses clash with locals. Disputed internationalboundary at Susta in Madanpur range is actively usedby wildlife poachers, timber fellers and smugglers.

8. Managers and field officials do have interestworking in wildlife protected area but they lacktraining, experience and expertise in wildlifemanagement. Due to tough service conditions in the

reserve and old age, most of the frontline staff showpoor willingness to serve in the reserve.

9. Central and state funds are not made availableon time, this results into delayed and poorimplementation of management and protectionmeasures. During 2008-09, the reserve was notpermitted to utilize the sanctioned central assistancegrant due to non-signing of tripartite MoU by the statewith NTCA. Due to this the reserve has suffered a lot.

10. Most of the open areas have been planted withcommercial tree species in the past, leading toscarcity of grasslands and meadows crucial to sustain

herbivore population. The existinggrasslands are un-managed and areprogressing into woodlands, whileopen hilly areas are occupied bydwarf Phoenix having no foddervalue for ungulates. So far, verylimited habitat managementinterventions have been made.

11. Forest fire is a criticalproblem in the reserve. Continuousfire in the reserve has supportedcolonizing fire resistant unpalatablefloral species like Phoenix on onehand and destroyed dead organicmatter and forest regeneration onthe other.

12. Banning boulder mining inthe eastern sector of the reservehas visible positive impact onwildlife habitat. This has alsoresulted into raised water level inthe river benefiting the villagerswho channelize the water forirrigation.

13. The confiscated timber andnon-timber produce of the reserveare auctioned by the department

and local people demand that these resources shouldbe made available to them.

14. Hundreds of fringe villages depending on thereserve for forest resources cause biotic disturbance.Eco-development Committees are functional andseveral rapport building measures have beenimplemented through the committees. However,negligible efforts have been made to reduce villagers’dependency and regulate / control domestic cattlegrazing inside the reserve.

15. There is no compensation policy of thegovernment for crop-depredation by wild animals andthe villagers are not given any compensation for lossof crop or livestock. This is one of the main complainsof locals.

16. Communication between the reserve

APPRAISAL

Banning boulder miningin the eastern sector ofthe reserve has visiblepositive impact onwildlife habitat. This hasalso resulted into raisedwater level in the riverbenefiting the villagerswho channelize thewater for irrigation.


APPRAISAL

management and community is not up to the mark,which causes misunderstanding among them andvillagers are confused on many issues due toignorance.

17. The present management and staff do haveunderstanding and acceptance of their internalweaknesses and perceptions of external threats, a

crucial gesture to improve thesituation.

Based on our assessment theteam made the followingrecommendations;

1. The state government must fill-up the vacant posts of frontline staffimmediately and sanctioned strengthof field staff as well as officialsshould be increased. Deployment ofarmed guards should be done atearliest possible.

2. There is a need to change theprotection system by deployingfrontline staff in groups in patrollingcamps. The camps should be locatedat strategic sites inside the reserve.Sufficient infrastructure includingvehicles should be provided to forestranges. The forest road networkshould be strengthened and the roadalong southern boundary should bemaintained for round the yearmobility.

3. A system should be developedfor wildlife and habitat monitoring,and number of field staff deployedfor tiger monitoring should beincreased. They should be properlytrained and oriented towards theirjob. A long term scientific monitoringof habitat and prey populationshould be implemented by acompetent independent agency incollaboration with the state forestdepartment.

4. There is an urgent need toimprove fodder availability for wildherbivores by eradicatingunpalatable floral species from theareas where there are fair chances ofgrowth of palatable grasses. Existinggrasslands should be managed andprotected from fire and domesticcattle grazing. It is suggested thatforest fire control measures should

be adopted on time and adequate funds should bemade available for this. Villagers should be motivatedfor their participation in initiatives for fire control.

5. State level Steering Committee for tigerconservation and Sanctuary Advisory Committeeshould be constituted.

6. Headquarters of deputy directors should be


APPRAISAL

shifted close to the reserve. Staffquarters and office building shouldbe constructed as per the needs.Creating veterinary facilities iscritically needed.

7. A feasibility study onestablishing a corridor connectingMadanpur range to rest of thereserve needs to be conducted.

8. Impact of establishment ofSashastra Seema Bal (SSB) BoPs onwildlife and its habitat in core areaof VTR should be monitored inorder to take measures to reduce /regulate their activities havingnegative impact on flora and fauna of the reserve. It isimportant to prescribe Do’s and Don’ts to be followedby the BoP personnel to maintain the natural and legalintegrity of the area. A system should be developed torecord wildlife sighting by SSB personnel of BoPs.

9. Timely fund availability to the reserve must beensured by the NTCA and state forest department.Some reserve fund should be set aside in the APOs tomeet the expenses till the funds of next year APO arereleased to the reserve.

10. The state should delineate and notifycore/critical area at earliest. Eco-sensitive zoneshould also be declared in order to regulate andrestrict non-forestry and incompatible land usearound the protected area. The state should improvethe alignment of boundary by acquiring / purchasingthe revenue lands intertwined with the southernboundary in eastern side of the reserve. The acquiredland should be included in the reserve.

11. Keeping in view the increased work load anddiffused focus on management of the reserve, werecommend that the jurisdiction of managers andfield staff should be restricted only within the reserveboundary and its eco-sensitive zone. Separate rangesshould be set up to look after territorial and otherforestry related work outside the reserve. We alsosuggest segregating the human resources forimplementation of eco-development activities andprotection. The state and NTCA could also think ofimplementing eco-development activities throughcompetent NGO, which would also act as an interfacebetween the reserve and communities.

12. Staff should be made more responsibletowards day-to-day wildlife monitoring. Maintainingdaily wildlife monitoring diary should be mandatoryfor the frontline staff and their superiors must cross-check the records on regular basis.

13. The state government should take measures to

attract energetic and motivatedfrontline staff and range officers byproviding incentives andaddressing their welfare issues aspointed out in detail in this report.

14. The team recommendinstitutionalizing a processinvolving eco-developmentcommittees to deliver theconfiscated forest produce amongvillagers to meet their bona fideneeds.

15. To obtain the support of thelocals, it is much desired to frame acompensation policy for crop-

depredation and livestock damage caused by wildanimals outside the reserve. In case of crop loss, thecompensation amount should be realistic and fixed inconsultation with agriculture experts and villagepanchayat. Procedures of application forcompensation should be simple. The reservemanagement should also device innovative ways ofreducing human-wildlife conflict.

16. Eco-development activities aimed at confidencebuilding as well as dependency reduction measuresshould be implemented as per village level micro-plans. It seems difficult to prepare micro-plans for150 odd villages at a time. Villages / eco-developmentcommittees should be prioritized for preparing themicro-plans.

17. Disposal of minor forest and wildlife casesshould be done and the frontline staff should bediscouraged to file fake cases on innocent villagers.

18. A committee should be constituted at forestrange level comprising of community representatives,NGOs and line departments, under thechairpersonship of ACF rank official. This wouldfelicitate communication and co-ordination of thereserve management with communities and linedepartments.

Despite having several constraints, themanagement has done commendable work ofstopping mining in the eastern sector of the reserve, incompliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order. Ithas re-established undisturbed connectivity with 40sq. km. area east of Pandai River. Better law and ordersituation and deployment of SSB in the area haspositive impact on overall management of the reserveon one hand and decline in wildlife crime on the other.The reserve could withstand poaching pressure ofnineties due to connectivity with the large forestedtract of Nepal. It is high time for managementinterventions to revive its potential.

There is a need tochange the protectionsystem by deploying

frontline staff in groupsin patrolling camps. The

camps should belocated at strategic sites

inside the reserve.Sufficient infrastructure

including vehiclesshould be provided to

forest ranges.


APPRAISAL

The field visit of Manas Tiger Reserve between30th September and 5th October 2009 and weinteracted with cross-section of people including

frontline staff, senior officials of the reserve andAssam Forest Department, Deputy Chief of BodolandAutonomous Council, officials of the civiladministration and Sashastra Seema Bal, communityrepresentatives and local villagers.

Various methods to accomplish the objectives ofappraisal were adopted and tried to understand thesituations minutely. In general, the reserve isrecovering at a significant pace after several years ofcivil unrest, which caused great damage tomanagement, infrastructure and wildlife of the area.Supports of local community groups to built up thedamaged infrastructure and protection of the area iscommendable. The tiger reserve management is alsocommitted and trying to re-establish Manas a safe

home for wildlife, but ‘system error’ inherited to thereserve is the main obstacle, which needs to be sortedout at earliest to get the desired conservation success.

During the appraisal it was found that;1. In all practical purposes, the Manas National Park

area is only being considered as the Manas TigerReserve area, which is only about 18% of the total areaof the tiger reserve. This is one of the main reasons fornot having a tiger oriented conservation andmanagement practices in Manas.

2. There is confusion and poor communicationbetween the Assam Forest Department and BodolandTerritorial Council on several issues pertaining tomanagement of the tiger reserve.

3. Tiger occupies most of the areas but density islow. The team could observe tiger signs in many areas.Pugmarks of a tigress and cubs were also seen alongBeki River in Bansbari range. Some NGOs are involved

MANASTIGER RESERVE, ASSAM


APPRAISAL

in camera trap surveys of tiger and have successfullyphotographed tigers in a small portion of the tigerreserve. Secondary information suggests increasedsightings of tiger in recent years.

4. Density of natural prey is low. Domestic cattlefrom the fringe villages supplement the natural prey oftiger.

5. Grasslands areas are advancing into woodlandsdue to long absence of proper grassland managementinterventions.

6. Wildlife monitoring system is not in place in thereserve and field staffs are very poorly orientedtowards a systematic wildlife monitoring system.

7. Research officer of the reserve has been engagedelsewhere for other assignments and this is one of thereasons for not having in-house research activities.Limited numbers of NGOs are doing wildlife research/ monitoring activities in the reserve, but their effortsare also restricted to a small area inadequate toprovide comprehensive management inputs.

8. Poaching pressure of prey was reported by localcommunity members however tiger and leopardpoaching seems low.

9. Infrastructure and human resources required foreffective protection is grosslyinadequate.

10. Protection mechanism isbasically dependent on the localvolunteers and long term viabilityof this system is questionable.

11. Road along the southernboundary of the National Park areacrucial for protection mechanismbut it is not operational.

12. Advisories of NTCA / ProjectTiger regarding the protection measures are poorlyfollowed in the reserve.

13. Encroachment seems to be a big problem inManas. However, some encroached areas have beenevacuated form unauthorized human settlements; stilla large portion is under encroachment. Several areas ofthe reserve are under constant encroachment threats.

14. Law and order situation has improvedsignificantly in the Manas Tiger Reserve areas incomparison to recent past time.

15. Involvement of local youth groups asconservation volunteers for the Manas Tiger Reserve isa good sign of community participation for themanagement of the reserve. However, long termviability of these groups needs further thoughts.

16. Presence of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in thesouthern boundary has strengthen the protectionmechanism in many areas of the reserve. But a regularand systematic coordination between SSB and Forest

Department is required for more effective protectionmeasures.

17. No proper system to report or monitor ofwildlife / forest offences in the reserve. Only inNational Park area efforts are in place but it is alsoinadequate or not as per standard procedures.

Based on our assessment the team made thefollowing recommendations:

1. There is an urgent need to addressadministrative issues on priority basis. The confusionsbetween the state government and BTC onmanagement of Manas TR should be resolved andentire reserve should be brought under unified controlof the Field Directorate for all practical purposes.

2. The BTC should be a party in allcommittees/bodies meant for the management ofManas TR.

3. It is needed to reorganize forest divisions andranges of the tiger reserve and create sufficient postsof officials and frontline staff to manage the entirereserve area effectively. Sufficient infrastructure needsto be created throughout the reserve. Sufficint fundsshould be secured through the state and centralgrants.

4. There is a need to develop asystem to regulate the activities ofNGOs in the reserve so as to derivemaximum output from theirefforts. Volunteers engaged forprotection duties should be underdirect control of the Field Directorrather than their ownorganizational managementsystem.

5. Joint forest patrolling withSSB in the southern boundary and with Bhutancounterpart in the northern boundary should beinitiated.

6. South boundary of the national park should beproperly demarcated and the road along the boundarymust be made usable and maintained for managementand protection of the reserve, especially the core area.Protection camps should be increased along thesouthern road instead of increasing camps inside thereserve.

7. Frontline staff and conservation volunteersshould be trained for day-to-day monitoring of preyand predators.

8. Local universities and NGOs should beencouraged to undertake research activities evenoutside the Manas National Park. The reservemanagement should create basic facilities in theseareas to attract the researchers.

9. Habitat management interventions should be

Wildlife monitoringsystem is not in place in

the reserve and fieldstaffs are very poorlyoriented towards asystematic wildlifemonitoring system


APPRAISAL

emphasized for recovery of the grasslands.10. Timely fund availability to the reserve must be

ensured by the NTCA and state forest department.11. A process should be institutionalized to

regulate implementation of BTC funded activities byagencies/departments other than the reservemanagement and ensure that the activities are as perthe management plan of the reserve. Such activitiesshould be brought into the notice of state governmentas well as NTCA.

12. The reserve management, state government andNTCA should act pro-actively to ensure timely fundflow for field based activities and overall managementof the reserve.

13. Eco-development activities should be started inthe fringe villages to reduce dependency of villagerson the reserve. Eco-development committees need tobe constituted for the purpose. We suggestimplementing eco-development activities throughcompetent NGO rather than the forest department.

14. A long term comprehensive awarenessprogramme is strongly required to mitigate thehuman-wildlife conflict problem. Community groups

along the south boundary may be funded for suchactivities. Compensation for crop damage and cattlekilled outside the reserve should be given to thevillagers. A realistic compensation package needs to bedeveloped in consultation with experts andcommunities.

It is worth mentioning that the reservemanagement, BTC and local communities have showntheir commitment to regain the old glories of Manas.The park is getting attention form the civiladministration, BTC and national and internationalNGOs. Rhino population was wiped out from thereserve by poachers during the civil unrest period.

But, now Government of Assam and organizationslike Wildlife Trust of India and WWF-India hassuccessfully brought back the species to the park fromKaziranga through reintroduction and translocationprogrammes. Local Civil society groups have formedtheir own “conservation volunteers” for helping thepark managers for conservation and protectionmeasures. This can be noted as a new beginning forthe Manas National Park. However, similar efforts needto be initiated for the entire Manas Tiger reserve area.


Buxa declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1983 lies inAlipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district ofWest Bengal. Its northern boundary runs along the

international border with Bhutan. The Sinchula hillrange lies all along the northern side of BTR and theEastern boundary touches that of the Assam State.National Highway No.31 C roughly runs along itssouthern boundary. It is the eastern most extension ofextreme bio-diverse North-EastIndia & represents highly endemicIndo-Malayan region. The fragile"Terai Eco-System" constitutes apart of this Reserve. The PhipsuWildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan iscontiguous to North of BTR. ManasTiger Reserve lies on east of BTR.BTR, thus, serves as internationalcorridor for elephant migrationbetween India and Bhutan. Thereserve encompasses as many aseight forest types. In 1986, BuxaWildlife Sanctuary was constitutedover 314.52 sq. km. of the Reserveforests. In 1991, 54.47 sq. km. areawas added to Buxa WildlifeSanctuary. A year later, in 1992, Government. of WestBengal declared its intentions to constitute a NationalPark over 117.10 Sq. Km. of the Buxa WildlifeSanctuary. State Government finally declared NationalPark vide notification No.3403-For/11B-6/95 dt.05.12.1997.

All-Indian assessment report of 2006 compiled bythe Wildlife Institute of India has could not get a singlepicture of tigers in their camera trapping exercise forBuxa while tiger occupancy in Northern West Bengal(Buxa-Jaldapara-Gorumara) was estimated to be 596km2 and numbers estimated to be 10 in the entire area.While park authorities acknowledge high humanpressures and difficulties in arresting these pressuresthey dispute the assessment of tiger numbers. TheBuxa Tiger Reserve was recently categorized by theNational Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) of Indiaas poor based on evaluation made by the officialsearlier. To find out the current state of the tiger reserve,the NTCA has formed an appraisal team comprising ofthe above mentioned team members authored this

report.The appraisal team visited Buxa TR from 18-21

September 2009 and feel that the Tiger reserve stillholds the potentiality to conserve tigers and otherkeystone species. The reasons for Buxa TR beinglisted among poor performing tiger reserves is partlydue to the high anthropogenic pressures from withinsettlements inside and surrounding the park area,

mainly from cattle grazing, fuelwood, timber and NTFPextraction. The team found that the ground infra-structure that Buxa TR is having and being maintainedby the Buxa Tiger Reserve authorities are of goodstandard to enhance conservation and protection.However shortage of frontline staff is being reportedwhich needs to be addressed to strengthen activemanagement of the tiger reserve. Siltation in riverbedsin Buxa TR due to Dolomite extraction in Bhutan haschanged the hydrology of the tiger reserve leading toerision of land masses and reduction of water holdingcapacity of the rivers causing massive flood in 1993.This could also potentially reduce the suitable habitatsfor the herbivores in the reserve which could havenegative effect on the tiger population. The humaninterferences in the tiger reserve also a major cause ofworry which needs to be addressed on priority basis.Regular monitoring of prey and predators along withthe active habitat management is needed to expand itshorizon towards better management of tigers andother species in the Buxa TR.

APPRAISAL

BUXA TIGER RESERVE,WEST BENGAL

Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Aparajita Datta and M. Firoz Ahmed


APPRAISAL

The 1985 km2 NamdaphaTiger Reserve is located inChanglang district in

eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Itwas declared a Reserved Forestin 1970 under the Assam ForestRegulation Act 1891 (firstproposed in 1947),subsequently as a wildlifesanctuary in 1972, finallydeclared a National Park in May1983 and a Tiger Reserve inMarch 1983. An area of 177 km2

of RF was added to the TigerReserve in 1986 and isdesignated as the buffer zone,while the rest (1808 km2) isconsidered the core zone.Despite the decline and lack oftiger signs, the official censusby park authorities in 2002reported 61 tigers based on thepugmark census method.However, as part of the censusconducted in 2006 presumablyusing the pugmark censusmethod, park officials reported14 tigers; the basis of thisestimate is not clear. The All-India assessment report of 2006compiled by the WildlifeInstitute of India has estimatedtiger numbers for entireArunachal Pradesh to be around14 with tiger occupancy of 540km2 for Namdapha. TheNamdapha Tiger Reserve wasrecently categorized by the National TigerConservation Authority (NTCA) of India as poorbased on evaluations of officials and reports byindependent scientists.

To determine the current state of the tiger reserve,the NTCA constituted an appraisal team in August

2009. The team visitedNamdapha from 8-12September 2009. The team is ofthe opinion that the NamdaphaTR is of immense value frombiodiversity point of view thatalso shelters tiger and other keyanimals. Illegal hunting is aserious threat to wildlife in thepark, and is prevalent among alltribal groups. The main targetsof subsistence hunting areungulates and primates, anddried wild meat and fish aresold in the villages. There is alsoillegal hunting for tiger,elephant, musk deer, bears,otters and other cats. Hunting ismainly carried out with guns,cross-bows and a variety ofindigenous traps, while metalfoot snares are used for tigers.

The appraisal team feels thatin order to strengthenconservation and adaptivemanagement of the habitat, floraand fauna, it needs improvementin many areas ranging frombuilding infrastructure andmotivating field staff foreffective and regular patrollingand monitoring, communityinterface and generating locallivelihood opportunities toreduce dependency on parkresources, addressing theencroachment issues within the

core area of the tiger reserve by urgently findingalternate land to resettle people in the park, increasingthe frontline staff strength in the reserve for effectivepatrol and bringing in a mechanism within the stategovernment for timely release of funds beingbudgeted for the Namdapha TR.

NAMDAPHATIGER RESERVE,

ARUNACHAL PRADESHBibhab Kumar Talukdar, Aparajita Datta and M. Firoz Ahmed


TIGER SUMMIT

We, the Heads of the Governments of thePeople’s Republic of Bangladesh, theKingdom of Bhutan, the Kingdom of

Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, theRepublic of India, the Republic of Indonesia, the LaoPeople’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republicof the Union of Myanmar, Nepal, the RussianFederation, the Kingdom of Thailand, and theSocialist Republic of Vietnam, being custodians ofthe last remaining tigers in the wild, having gatheredat an unprecedented Global Tiger Summit in St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 21 – 24November 2010, with the common goal of tigerconservation; RECOGNIZE that Asia’s most iconicanimal faces imminent extinction in the wild. In the

past century, tiger numbers have plummeted from100,000 to below 3,500, and continue to fall. Tigernumbers and habitat have declined by 40 percent inthe last decade alone, lost largely to habitat loss,poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and human tigerconflict. Three subspecies have already disappeared,and none of the other six are secure;

ACKNOWLEDGE that the tiger is one of theimportant indicators of healthy ecosystems and afailure to reverse these trends will result in not onlythe loss of tigers but also a loss of biologicaldiversity throughout the entire Asiatic region,together with the tangible and intangible benefitsprovided by these magnificent predators and theecosystems they inhabit;

The St. Petersburg Declarationon Tiger Conservation

Saint Petersburg Russia, November 23, 2010


TIGER SUMMIT

NOTE that whilst the conservation of the tiger isprimarily a national responsibility and thatincreased cooperation and coordination of effortsamong the tiger range countries is essential, thereversal of this crisis is additionally dependent uponfinancial and technical support from theinternational community, bearing in mind that mostTiger Range Countries are developing countries Thecrisis facing the tiger has yet to receive theinternational attention it deserves and saving thisspecies is a common responsibility;

UNDERSTAND the role of internationalagreements on the conservation of biologicaldiversity and protection of rare and endangeredspecies, including the tiger, such as the Conventionon Biological Diversity, the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species of Floraand Fauna (CITES), and the Convention on theConservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals(CMS);

ACKNOWLEDGE the work to date of the GlobalTiger Forum and encourage its revitalization andmore active role;

RECALL and endorse The Manifesto onCombating Wildlife Crime in Asia, adopted inPattaya, Thailand, in April 2009; theRecommendations of the Global Tiger Workshop inKathmandu, Nepal, October 2009; the Hua HinDeclaration on Tiger Conservation at the First AsianMinisterial Conference on Tiger Conservation (1stAMC) in Hua Hin, Thailand, January 2010; and theWork Plan of the Pre Tiger Summit in Bali, Indonesia,July 2010;

WELCOME the adoption of National TigerRecovery Programs (NTRPs) and the Global Tiger

Recovery Program (GTRP); andACKNOWLEDGE and appreciate the presence and

support of other governments, internationalorganizations, non-governmental organizations, andother supporters of tigers. Because it is ourobligation to future generations, and because wemust act now, we hereby declare the following:

Strive to double the number of wild tigers acrosstheir range by 2022 by

1. doing everything possible to effectivelymanage, preserve, protect, and enhance habitats,including:

a. Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation inplanning and development processes in tigerhabitat;

b. Making critical tiger breeding habitats inviolateareas within the larger tiger conservation landscapeswhere no economic or commercial infrastructuredevelopment or other adverse activities arepermitted; and maintaining the landscapes andcreating corridors around and between them whereall permitted development activities are tiger- andbiodiversity- compatible;

c. Improving protection by using systematicpatrolling to safeguard tigers, their prey, andhabitats; and

d. Working collaboratively on trans-boundaryissues, such as the uninhibited movement of tigersand the management of tiger conservationlandscapes.

2. Working collaboratively to eradicate poaching,smuggling, and illegal trade of tigers, their parts,and derivatives through:

a. Strengthened national legislation, institutions,and law enforcement to combat crime directed


TIGER SUMMIT

against tigers;b. Strengthened regional law enforcement

activities through bilateral and multilateralarrangements such as Association of South EastAsian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network(ASEAN-WEN), South Asia Wildlife EnforcementNetwork (SA-WEN), and the Protocol between theGovernment of the People’s Republic of China andthe Government of the Russian Federation on TigerProtection;

c. Strengthened international collaboration,coordination, and communication;

d. Specialized expertise, where relevant, frominternational organizations including the CITESSecretariat, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs andCrime, the World Bank, and the World CustomsOrganization, (recognizing that some of theseagencies may, themselves, require additionalresources); and

e. Long-term national and global programs tocreate awareness of the value of wild tigers and theirecosystems and thus eliminate the illicit demand fortigers and their parts.

3. Engaging with indigenous and localcommunities to gain their participation inbiodiversity conservation, minimize negativeimpacts on tigers, their prey, and habitats, andreduce the incidence of human-tiger conflict byproviding sustainable and alternative livelihoodoptions through financial support, technicalguidance, and other measures.

4. Increasing the effectiveness of tiger and habitatmanagement, basing it on: a. The application ofmodern and innovative science, standards, andtechnologies;

b. Regular monitoring of tigers, their prey, andhabitat;

c. Adaptive management practices; andd. Building capacity of institutions involved in

science and training and creating a platform forinteractive knowledge exchange at all levels.

5. Exploring and mobilizing domestic funding,including new financing mechanisms based onforest carbon financing including REDD+, paymentfor ecosystem services (PES), ecotourism, andprivate sector, donor, and non-governmentalorganization partnerships.

6. Appealing for the commitment of internationalfinancial institutions, such as World Bank, GlobalEnvironment Facility, Asian Development Bank,bilateral and other donors and foundations, CITESSecretariat, non-governmental organizations, andother conservation partners to provide or mobilizefinancial and technical support to tiger conservation.

7. Looking forward to the establishment of amulti-donor trust fund or other flexiblearrangements to support tiger conservation.

8. Requesting financial institutions and otherpartners, including the Global Tiger Initiative, toassist in identifying and establishing a mechanismto coordinate and monitor the use of the multi-donor trust fund allocated for tiger conservationand the implementation of the GTRP, including itsGlobal Support Programs for capacity building andknowledge sharing, combating wildlife crime,demand reduction, and the GTRP progress report. Inthe interim, we request the Global Tiger Initiative tofulfill this role.

9. Agreeing to convene high-level meetings on aregular basis to review the progress of NTRPs andthe GTRP and to help ensure continued high levels ofpolitical commitment to tiger recovery.

10.Building tiger conservation awareness bycelebrating Global Tiger Day annually on 29 July.

11.Welcome and sincerely appreciate the pledgesmade during the Tiger Summit, we also appreciatethe continued support of the Global EnvironmentFacility, Save the Tiger Fund, SmithsonianInstitution, US Fish and Wildlife Service, WildlifeConservation Society, and WWF, and other partnersin the Global Tiger Initiative, and welcome theparticipation of new ones.

By the adoption of this, the St. PetersburgDeclaration, the tiger range countries of the worldcall upon the international community to join us inturning the tide and setting the tiger on the road torecovery.

In pursuance to the felt need of mutual engagementbetween the Peoples Republic of China and theRepublic of India on forestry and wildlife matters, a

delegation of the Ministry of Environment & Forests,Government of India had visited Beijing to enhance thebilateral cooperation in forest management duringApril 18-23, 2010. This has been followed by visit ofanother delegation of the Ministry of Environment andForests from 30th of August 2010 to 3rd of September2010 to discuss matters relating to cooperation incontrol of wildlife crimes, tiger conservation,collaboration in research, training and capacitybuilding. The agreed agenda items for the bilateralmeetings were as under:

1.Wildlife Crime Control:nNational law and regulations on regulating wildlifecrime, including tiger,nLaw enforcement system for wildlife cases, includingtiger;nSituation, key areas, trends of wildlife cases,including tiger,nDiscussion on information sharing and periodicconsultation mechanism on wildlife crime, includingtiger;nDiscussion on coordination mechanism of lawenforcement agency at grass root levelnBilateral consultation before and during internationalforum meeting;nOther means of bilateral cooperation: bilateralmeeting, joint training, exchange of visits, informationexchange, etc.

2. Tiger Cooperation:nSituation of tiger conservation and future actionplan, exchange of views on global tiger conservationaction plan and related issues;nExchange of technicians for short-term training in thetiger protected area of the other country'nReview of the implementation of the TigerConservation Protocol, enhancement of cooperation;nExchange of views on China's accession to the GlobalTiger Forum.

3. Cooperation in Wildlife Research, Training andCapacity BuildingA meeting was held at the State Forestry

Administration office on 31st of August 2010 with MrMeng Xianlin, Deputy Director General and hiscolleagues from the Management Office for Import &Export of Endangered Species, P.R.China.

Mr. Meng Xianlin, Deputy Director General,Management Office for Import & Export of Endangeredspecies, P.R. China extended a warm welcome to theIndian delegation led by Mr. A.K. Srivastava, InspectorGeneral of Forests, Ministry of Environment andForests and highlighted areas of mutual cooperation inwildlife matters between the two countries.

In his opening remarks, Mr. A.K. Srivastava,Inspector General of Forests, thanked the State


MANAGEMENT

Bilateral Cooperation in Wildlife ManagementMinutes of the meeting between the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of India

on Bilateral Cooperation in Wildlife Management held on 31st of August 2010


MANAGEMENT

Forestry Administration, P.R.China for inviting theIndian delegation to China and for their warmhospitality extended to the delegation. He mentionedthat there had been renewed cooperation between thetwo countries in various areas including climatechange, forestry and wildlife conservation. Both thecountries have had a Memorandum of Understandingon Tiger Conservation since 1995. Also, an agreementon Forestry Cooperation was signed in May 2007 atNew Delhi during the visit of President H.E., Mr. HuJintao.The Cooperation in the area of EnvironmentalConservation has further been strengthened with thevisits of Minister of Environment & Forests H.E.,Mr.Jairam Ramesh to China in 2009 and 2010. He sharedthe views expressed by Mr. Meng Xianlin, DDG on theneed for bilateral cooperation in combating illegaltrade in wildlife products, mutual understanding on

conservation issues in the international fora includingCITES, sharing of best practices in management ofprotected areas and collaboration in research andcapacity building.

This was followed by presentations on wildlifeenforcement issues by Ms. Rina Mitra, AdditionalDirector, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, India and Mr.Wan Ziming, Division Chief, Management Office forImport and Export of Endangered Species,P.R. China.

Ms. Rina Mitra gave a detailed presentation of themandate of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau andenforcement of wildlife laws including CITES. Shestressed the need for coordinated enforcement as astrategy for effective conservation and suggesteddesignation of Nodal Officers for actionableintelligence sharing to track organized wildlifecriminal networks having linkages in both thecountries. She also suggested exploring the possibilityof an arrangement on the lines of the agreementexisting between the two countries for combatingtrafficking in narcotics.

Mr. Wan Zimming gave a detailed presentation onCITES enforcement in China, enforcement organsinvolved and the enforcement efforts made byP.R.China in the recent years. He also highlighted theneed for bilateral cooperation in CITES enforcementincluding mutual cooperation in various internationalconventions. He also proposed the areas for futurecooperation, including mutual information exchangeon wildlife crime issues, exchange visits and meetings,designation of nodal officers and organizing jointawareness programmes for various enforcementagencies operating in the border areas of both thecountries.

While acknowledging the poaching and illegaltrafficking of wildlife products including tiger bodyparts as the biggest threat to wildlife conservation inthe region, both the countries have shown willingnessand agreed to share actionable intelligence besidesnominating Nodal Officers for sharing of real timeinformation.

Further, a meeting was held on 2nd September 2010to discuss the matters relating to Wildlife CrimeControl, Tiger cooperation, Research, training andcapacity building with Mr Yan Xun, Deputy DirectorGeneral, Department of Wildlife Conservation, StateForestry Administration and his colleagues. List ofparticipants is enclosed. (Annexure- 2)

Mr Yan Xun, Deputy Director General, State ForestryAdministration initiated the discussion by welcomingthe Indian Delegation and introduced the members ofhis delegation. He highlighted the functions of


MANAGEMENT

Department of Wildlife Conservation and other sisterorganizations. He stated that both the countries havesimilar problems and threats relating to wildlifeconservation and enforcement. He further stressedthat the tiger is key species in both the countries andthere is strong need to identify common issues relatingto tiger conservation. It was stated that they are readyto act upon any specific information on illegaltrafficking of tiger or other wild animal body parts.

Shri A.K.Srivastava, Head of the Indian Delegationthanked the Government of PR China for havinghosted the bilateral meeting between both countries.He introduced the members of the Indian Delegation.Further, he briefed on the historical background of thebilateral cooperation, meetings/ visits, area ofcooperation and the outcome of the meeting held on31st August 2010.

Mr Wang Weisheng, Division Chief, Department ofWildlife Conservation, SFA stated that both thecountries have signed a bilateral protocol way back inthe year 1995 on conservation of tigers, however the

progress has not been as per expectations. He said thatfrequent dialogue and exchanges will clear theirposition on tiger conservation, would identify thecommon positions and would lead to futurecooperation. Further, he stated that majority of thetiger range countries are developing countries andthey need funding support as well as technology fortiger conservation. He emphasized on exchange visitsof field officials to the protected areas of each othercountries, exchange visits of scientists/ expertsworking in the field of tiger conservation, sharing ofenforcement information for not only border areas butalso of mainland. He further elaborated upon theirposition on the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), their activeconsideration and willingness of joining the GlobalTiger Forum (GTF).

Mr Xun expressed his concern on the process andoutcome of the Global Tiger Summit to be held inRussia. He further stated that there are a number ofinstitutions/ universities which are doing research ontigers such as Beijing University, North East University

and South China Research Institute . He expressed hiswillingness to accept expertise of Indian Scientists fortiger conservation and suggested for better, effectiveand regular bilateral meetings, exchange visits ofofficials, Protected Area Managers, experts andscientists.

While welcoming the suggestions of the PR China,the Head of the Indian Delegation requested Mr S.P.Yadav, DIG (NTCA) to make a presentation on the tigerconservation in India. Mr Yadav in his presentationbriefed about the protected area networks in India,problems as well as success of the Project Tiger & tigerconservation, recommendations & implementation ofthe tiger task force, milestone initiatives taken by theGovernment of India for tiger conservation, India'scapacity to handhold Tiger RangeCountries (TRCs) in the scientificestimation & monitoring of habitat& tigers, tiger reintroduction fromwild to wild, position of Governmentof India on the GTI and the GlobalTiger Recovery Programme (GTRP) &the GTF. Further, on the behalf ofthe Secretary General GTF, heextended invitation to the Chineseside to participate in theinternational meeting/ workshopscheduled to be held on 25-26October 2010 at the Sariska TigerReserve.

Mrs Rina Mitra, AdditionalDirector, Wildlife Crime ControlBureau explained the points agreed for cooperation onenforcement against wildlife crimes and sharing ofintelligence.

Mr P.R.Sinha, Director Wildlife Institute of Indiaelaborated on the area of research and capacitybuilding of the protected area managers in the field oftiger & other wildlife conservation and forensics.

Both the countries have expressed willingness tosharing of experiences and best practices in themanagement of Protected Areas (PAs) including TigerReserves, training and capacity building of PAmanagers, scientists and technicians in use of moderntechnologies for effective management of ProtectedAreas. The P.R. of China has shown considerableinterest in joining the Global Tiger Forum, the onlyintergovernmental international body working fortigers, to strengthen tiger conservation in the region.

Details of the decisions taken in both the meetingswith the officers of the State Forestry Administrationof the Peoples Republic of China for further follow upaction are as under:

1. Wildlife Crime Control:

n Both the sides agreed to the need for collaborationin investigation of trans - border wildlife crime to tracethe backward and forward linkages so as to effectivelydeal with the organized criminal syndicates operatingin the region. n Both the sides agreed to the need of designatingNodal Officers for intelligence exchange on wildlifecrimes and sharing information on significantseizures.n Both the sides were convinced that bilateralcooperation in wildlife matters needed to bestrengthened through regular periodic bilateralexchange of delegations. Visits of the delegation wereproposed to be held in India and China alternatively.n Both the sides appreciated the need of mutual

cooperation in wildlife matters invarious international fora andthe need for consultationsbetween the two countries priorto the international conventions,particularly the CITES.n Both the sides felt the need forexchange of resource personsand training modules for trainingthe wildlife enforcement officialsincluding customs.n Both the sides agreed toexplore the possibility oforganizing joint awarenessprogrammes for variousenforcement agencies operatingin their border areas.

2. Tiger Cooperation:n Exchange of Protected Area Managers/ Field levelofficers working in the field of tiger conservation.n Exchange of information/ actionable intelligence forcontrol of wildlife crimes including trade of tiger bodyparts and other wild animal products.n Sharing of experiences and best practices in themanagement of Protected Areas including TigerReserves.n Bilateral meetings at regular intervaln Cooperation in Wildlife Research, Training andCapacity Buildingn Cooperation in Training and capacity building of PAmanagers, scientists and technicians in use of moderntechnologies for effective management of PAs.n Joint collaborative programmes on use of molecularbiology as tool of species conservation and use ofadvanced forensic tools to curb illegal wildlife trade.

The Head of Indian delegation extended an invitation tothe senior officers of the State Forestry Administrationof the Peoples Republic of China to visit India in 2011.

BOTH THE COUNTRIES HAVEEXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TOSHARING OF EXPERIENCES

AND BEST PRACTICES IN THEMANAGEMENT OF

PROTECTED AREAS (PAS)INCLUDING TIGER RESERVES,

TRAINING AND CAPACITYBUILDING OF PA MANAGERS,

SCIENTISTS ANDTECHNICIANS IN USE OF

MODERN TECHNOLOGIES FOREFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF

PROTECTED AREAS.

Published and printed by Inder Mohan Singh Kathuria on behalf of National Tiger Conservation Authority. Published at Annexe No 5, Bikaner House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110011 and

printed at Astha Packaging, 122 DSISC Sheds, Okhla Phase I, New Delhi - 110020

STRIPES | BI-MONTHLY OUTREACH JOURNAL OF NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY,A STATUTORY BODY UNDER MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

VOLUME TWO FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION ISSUE ONE

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