Tigers are back in Thano forests as per the new study, but how safe are they

Although tigers have been known to exist in the Indian Himalayas historically, the Western Rajaji Tiger Reserve in  Uttarakhand state was assumed to be the sole tiger population west of the Ganga River in recent decades. However, evidence from a new study suggests that tigers have persisted or recolonized the Himalayan ranges and adjoining lowlands west of the river Ganga.

The study, titled “Evidence of tigers in the lower Himalayan habitats of Dehradun Forest Division, India” was published in CATNews, a newsletter by the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It was conducted by the Worldwide Fund for Nature -India (WWF-India) in partnership with the Uttarakhand Forest Department.

“We report here photographic evidence of the occurrence of tigers Panthera tigris from the Dehradun Forest Division, Uttarakhand, India. These tigers were photo captured in the months of September–December 2021. These records suggest that” the report read.

Airport expansion conflict

The study assumes special significance in the backdrop of the Uttarakhand government’s plans to expand the Jolly Grant airport. The project entails the much-criticised diversion of forest land from the Thano reserved range, which is part of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve. Rishika Pardikar in their article for Frontline notes that the move would sever habitat connectivity between the Rajaji-Shivalik ecosystem and the lower Himalayas for species such as tigers, elephants, leopards, and bears.

As per The Frontline, the closest point where cameras captured tiger movement was about 1.5 km (measured aerially) from the Jolly Grant Airport. The study has also previously underpinned the Dehradun Forest Division to be “a vital wildlife corridor for elephants” and that the Division’s connection to other reserve forests and protected areas “has enabled the occurrence and periodic movement of wild elephants, leopards, and some species of ungulates”.  What is noteworthy then, is that a document available on the Parivesh portal marks the project as one that would not require Clearance under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. 

The Frontline report further points out that the fact that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) done for the airport expansion project reported no Schedule I species is surprising because the All India Tiger monitoring reports have been showing elephants and leopards in the same regions. This exempts the area from the highest level of legal protection to species such as tigers, elephants, and leopards accorded under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Expansive areas for their survival

The WWF-India study informs that large carnivores require expansive areas for their survival, breeding and dispersal. Therefore, it suggests that for a tiger population to recover, tigers living outside protected areas must also be protected.

“Eastern Rajaji and Corbett are the two most prominent tiger populations in the Western Terai. However, there is still a small tiger population supported by a substantial block of viable habitat on the west bank of the Ganges. This study reveals that the tiger presence and dispersal across the region are more extensive than previously thought.” Devavrat Pawar, lead author of the study told the Frontline. “It underscores the urgent requirement to enhance wildlife management beyond Protected Area boundaries and highlights the critical importance of identifying, preserving, and restoring corridors.”.

The Dehradun Forest Division and its neighbouring forests also function as wildlife corridors for the movement of animals between the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and adjoining forest patches. On the other side, the study also draws attention to the large portions of the Indian Himalayas that have not been included in India’s national tiger estimation surveys.

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