IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

PRE-SUMMIT OF TIGER RANGE COUNTRIES

12th August, 2022 Environment

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Context:  India hosted the Pre-Summit meeting of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs).

 

Details:

  • The Tiger Range Countries Summit is scheduled to be held at Vladivostok, Russia on 5th September 2022.
  • In January 2022, the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger conservation was held.
  • The meeting was attended by 12 tiger range countries except for China and Indonesia.
  • There are 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC): India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR (People's Democratic Republic), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Viet Nam, China and Indonesia.
  • India is committed to bringing all potential tiger habitats within the country under the tiger reserve network.
  • The meeting aims to finalise the declaration on tiger conservation to be adopted at the Summit.

Tiger

  • Tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species.
  • It is an apex predator.
  • Tiger cubs stay with their mother for about two years and then become independent, leaving their mother's home range to establish their own.
  • Since the early 20th century, tiger populations have declined by at least 93%.
    • Major reasons for population decline are habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.
    • Tigers are also victims of human-wildlife conflict, particularly in range countries with a high human population density.
  • Today, the tiger's range is fragmented, stretching from Siberian temperate forests to subtropical and tropical forests on the Indian subcontinent, Indo-china and Sumatra.
  • The tiger is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  • The tiger is the national animal of India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Korea.
  • As of 2019, India’s Tiger population stands at a total of 2967 which is 70% of the global tiger population.
  • India successfully fulfilled its target of doubling tiger numbers, made at St. Petersburg in 2010, much before the target year of 2022.
  • The Indian states with the Tiger population:
  • Madhya Pradesh – 526
  • Karnataka – 524
  • Uttarakhand – 442
  • Maharashtra – 312

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850581#:~:text=Pre%2Dsummit%20meeting%20of%20the%20Tiger%20Range%20Countries%20as%20a,in%20progress%20in%20New%20Delhi.