Research Article: Karanth, K. U. (2003). Tiger ecology and conservation in the Indian subcontinent. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 100, 169–189.

Blog Author: Shreya Ray

Key Highlights:

  • Tigers need large, connected forests with plenty of wild prey to survive. Fragmented or degraded habitats limit their ability to hunt and reproduce.
  • The study highlights the importance of protected areas, but these cover only a small part of the landscape. Therefore, supporting buffer zones and wildlife corridors is equally important for long-term conservation.
  • Ongoing challenges like poaching, livestock grazing, and deforestation continue to affect tiger populations. Addressing these issues is crucial both within and beyond protected reserves.
  • The study suggests that scientific tools—such as camera traps and tracking devices—have greatly improved our understanding of tiger behavior and population trends, enabling more effective conservation actions.
  • The author encourages us to move beyond popular myths—such as conserving white tigers or releasing captive ones—and instead focus on science-based strategies like protecting wild prey species, securing habitat corridors, and engaging local communities in conservation efforts.

Across India’s landscapes, from dense tropical forests to mangrove swamps, one creature has stood out as both an icon and enigma: the tiger. By the early 20th century, tigers—once rulers of Asia’s forests—were rapidly vanishing. Trophy hunting, shrinking habitats, and unchecked poaching pushed them to the brink. In India, where tigers have long been symbols of strength and royalty, the crisis spurred conservation efforts. But are these efforts working? What does science tell us about saving tigers?

Despite decades of attention and extensive monitoring efforts, tiger conservation is fraught with challenges. In his landmark review, conservation scientist Dr. K. Ullas Karanth offers a sweeping perspective on the ecology and conservation of tigers in the Indian subcontinent—grounded in years of field research, conservation, and tireless efforts to identify solutions to pressing problems

conservation, and tireless efforts to identify solutions to pressing problems. Tigers are solitary, stealthy predators built for power. With their striped coats and massive bodies, they can stalk and ambush prey in dense forests or open grasslands. They thrive where there are enough large animals to eat—typically deer and wild pigs. A single breeding tiger needs to make at least one big kill a week just to survive. According to Karanth, the tiger is not just a charismatic carnivore but a voracious predator that preyson  around 50 large ungulates annually. To meet its biological needs, it occupies vast territories—up to 100 km² for males, particularly in prey-rich environments like Nagarahole or Chitwan.

Scientific monitoring reveals that tiger densities can be as high as 16 individuals per 100 km² in undisturbed habitats, but drop to fewer than four in dry forests like Panna. Sites with ungulate biomass over 15,000 kg/km² support the highest densities. Yet even within legally protected reserves, the presence of livestock and human activity drastically lowers tiger numbers.

Cubs are born blind and helpless, dependent on their mothers the first two years, which can be precarious. Mortality due to leopards and dominant male tigers can have impacts on tiger cubs. In the wild, survival hinges not only on finding food and territory but also on avoiding humans and navigating a perilous social landscape.

India once held over 40,000 wild tigers. By the 1970s, that number had dropped to a few thousand. Project Tiger, launched in 1973, aimed to reverse the decline through protected areas. Initially, the strategy was successful,—tiger numbers rebounded in places like Nagarahole and Kanha. Conservation of tigers outside the PA network is particularly problematic, habitats remain fragmented, prey is scarce, and poaching persists. Human-tiger conflict—especially near settlements—adds another layer of complexity.

The illegal trade in tiger parts soon undermined earlier gains. Many reserves lost their tigers despite official protection. Dr. Ullas Karanth, argues that conservation failed not because science was flawed, but because it was often ignored. Policies leaned more on symbolism than substance, and feel-good interventions—like releasing captive-bred tigers—lacked ecological grounding.

So what does work? Karanth advocates rigorous monitoring through camera traps and robust statistical models, which he employed using over 100 traps and capture-recapture techniques with error margins under 20%. He stresses the need to secure not just parks, but entire landscapes. Tigers need room to roam, breed, and disperse, which requires connecting protected areas via ecological corridors. Local communities, too, must be part of the solution—through education, fair compensation for losses, and shared conservation efforts.

Ultimately, Dr. Karanth calls for science, not sentiment, to drive decisions. Conservation grounded in data, backed by political will, and responsive to ground realities offers the only real hope. Tigers may be fierce, but their future depends on human choices. They are not just icons of the wild—they are indicators of ecosystem health. Protecting them means protecting the very fabric of India’s forests. With the right strategies, informed by science, the tiger may yet continue to roar across the subcontinent.

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