SC to hear plea to keep tourists out of tiger reserves

The debate over whether or not tiger reserves should be left alone for better protection of the animal is a longstanding one.

According to the Travel Operators for Tigers in India,a consortium of tour operators,official figures show the population of tigers is not on the wane at reserves where tourism has seen a spurt in the past five years.

In the six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh — Satpura,Pench,Kanha,Bandhavgarh,Sanjay and Panna — the population either increased or remained stable since 2006,as per the 2011 census of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

The tour operators claim during this period,the number of tourists in these parks has increased manifold. In Pench,for instance,the number grew from 54,000 in 2008-09 to 65,000 in 2010-11,the consortium claims. In the same place,the number of tigers increased from 33 in 2006 to 65 in 2011,even though tourism uses over 62 per cent of the core area of the reserve.

“Guides,naturalists and many lodge owners are often the best eyes and ears of a park. Their livelihoods depend on a healthy park system,and they are going to fight to protect it,” says conservationist Belinda Wright of Wildlife Protection Society of India.