Enthused by the rising number of tigers in the wild, the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) is contemplating to create more habitat areas for them to ensure their long-term conservation. Further, a new collar device ‘Independent Anti-Poaching Device (IAPD)’ has been designed to help tigers to protect themselves from poaching.
According to sources in the Environment Ministry, efforts are on to convert more wildlife sanctuaries rich in biodiversity with proven presence of tigers and prey base into tiger reserves.
In the near future, the country is likely to have 50 tiger reserves, following the present tally of 47. The Ministry has recently granted in-principle approval for notification of the Guru Ghasidas National Park in Chhattisgarh as the 48th tiger reserve.
Further, the Ministry has also asked the Karnataka Government to declare Cauvery and MM Hills wildlife sanctuaries in the State as tiger reserves after the approval of the same from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The Ministry will also initiate better protection mechanisms for the five tiger reserves located in the red bastions or extremist affected areas, in the country. These include Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Simlipal in Odisha, Indravati and Udanti-Sitanadi in Chhattisgarh, and Palamu in Jharkhand.
In another boost to tiger conservation, a team of four experts including two engineers, a biology student and a product designer have come up with a collar device or the Independent Anti-Poaching Device (IAPD) that will help tigers protect themselves from metal traps, electrocution and poisoning. These are the three most commonly used techniques by poachers to trap tigers.
The IAPD is a sensor-based device that is fitted around the neck of the tiger. Pulse emission and optical sensors used in the collar are designed in keeping with the mechanisms used by the local poachers. According to experts, the snares include 220V-11kV current for electrocution and pesticide called Carbofuran is largely used to poison tigers.
Accordingly, the device will alert the tiger through a certain frequency to which it is sensitive. This will not only communicate the presence of imminent danger to the tiger but also help in indicating its direction. Most importantly, this does not call for involvement or supervision of humans.
The experts further pointed out that the device has been so designed that it does not hamper with the natural behavior of the animal or causing any physical/ mental stress especially during mating.
It makes use of a lighter version of silicon rubber that is camouflaged as the skin of the tiger itself. Hence, this does not indicate the obvious presence of any foreign object on the body of the big cat. The device is however awaiting clearance certificate from the Wildlife Institute of India.