○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○ KARNATAKA TIGER CONSERVATION PROJECT FINAL REPORT BY THE WIDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ K. Ullas Karanth, Ph.D. Wildlife Conservation Society- India Program / Centre for Wildlife Studies Bangalore INDIA Praveen Bhargav CENTRE FOR WILDLIFE STUDIES BANGALORE INDIA INSIDE N. Samba Kumar CENTRE FOR WILDLIFE STUDIES BANGALORE COVER INDIA BLANK Citation: Karanth, K. U, Bhargav, P. and Kumar, S. (2001) Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project. Final Report to Save The Tiger Fund - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, ExxonMobil Corporation and other donors. Wildlife Conservation Society, International Programs, Bronx, NY-10460-1099. Copyright © Wildlife Conservation Society, 2001 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project ○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY under multiple uses such as forestry and agriculture. The precarious conservation status of the tiger (Panthera tigris) has aroused worldwide concern KTCP was driven by the WCS conservation in recent years. Tigers are under threat from philosophy of seeking innovative and practical several factors: depletion of their prey base, direct solutions for wildlife conservation problems within ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ killing and, the shrinkage, fragmentation and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ the framework of sound science rather than mere degradation of their habitat. These pressures result passion for tigers. Initially, based on past research, from a diversity of proximate causes that are field surveys, and, consultations with the staff of ultimately driven by demographic and economic the State Forest Department as well as with local growth, as well as by changing cultures and social conservation partners, the project identified the attitudes. following critical tiger conservation needs: Pic: K.U. Karanth Pic: K.U. Karanth Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has initiated 1. Lack of necessary baseline data on tigers, their several projects in the tiger range countries. These prey and habitats as well as on human impacts projects aim at obtaining a clear understanding of on tigers, to establish reliable benchmarks and tiger ecology in specific contexts, identifying the evaluate tiger conservation efforts. major threats to tigers, and then, attempt to address these threats. Karnataka Tiger Conservation 2. Inadequate protective capacity in the Forest Project (KTCP), supported by Save the Tiger Fund Department, particularly in terms of lack of A tigress Scent marking. Tiger habitat’s also harbour rich bio-diversity. of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and patrol vehicles, communication equipment and Exxon Corporation, the 21st Century Tiger Fund essential field-gear for protective staff. and several other WCS donors, was implemented from January1998 to June 2001. It was executed 3. Improving the morale of the frontline staff by in the State of Karnataka, India, in association providing them with insurance cover, rewards with the local government and local conservation for meritorious performance and improving partners. their capacity for law enforcement and monitoring activities through specifically KTCP evolved on a foundation of WCS-supported tailored training programs. Pic: K.U. Karanth Pic: K.U. Karanth tiger research and conservation work in India since 1988 in collaboration with a network of local 4. Increasing public support for the effective conservation partners led by Centre for Wildlife enforcement of wildlife protection laws, and Studies, and Wildlife First. The project sites enhancing the awareness of tiger conservation comprised four large blocks of tiger habitat, values in the local communities around the located in the Western Ghats (recognized as one project sites through conservation education among the world’s 18 biodiversity hotspots). programs. A Tusker. A pack of Dhole. Administratively, these sites covered an area of 2600 km2 in the State of Karnataka and formed a 5. Building a cadre of local community leaders part of the Level-1 Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU- who support tiger conservation for scientific 55) identified earlier under the WCS-WWF (USA) and cultural reasons. Building capacity among priority setting exercise. These four sites covered such local conservationists to scientifically the designated nature reserves of Nagarahole, monitor tiger conservation and address threats Bandipur, Bhadra and Kudremukh that harbor to tigers arising from human impacts. some of the best breeding habitats for tigers. These sites provided opportunities for conserving viable 6. Consolidating tiger habitats in the long-term tiger populations, within a larger landscape matrix by reducing fragmentation and mitigating ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project 01 human-tiger conflicts by actively promoting ○○○○○○○○○○○○ staff members, 280 persons who were not covered protection are hard to quantify in the short run, ○○○○○○○○○○○○ move out, are testimonies to the effectiveness of voluntary resettlement of human populations by official insurance schemes were provided with we believe that, overall, tiger protection improved these initiatives. currently occupying critical tiger habitats within insurance cover of 150,000 rupees each against by deterring potential offenders. the project reserves. accidental death or disablement. In addition, six Although the project was successful overall, we state level Tiger Conservation awards and 30 local Conservation education activities under this noted some shortcomings in its design and The total investment in the project was awards were given out to staff members who project included 152 slide-talks, 43 field nature implementation. We believe these arose from the 17, 000, 000 rupees (US $ 375,000). Out of this, ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ performed meritorious tiger protection activities. camps and 86 public contact campaigns in and ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ following factors: deficiencies in the government’s a total of 90,50,000 rupees (US $ 210,000) was Some rewards were also provided to members of around the four sites. We estimate that a total of administrative structure and its internal dynamics; provided by the project in the form of equipment the public who assisted tiger conservation efforts. about 150,000 local people living in proximity to weaknesses among WCS conservation partners and other support and services directly to the wild tigers, mainly youth, students and teachers because of the non-professional, voluntary nature Karnataka State Forest Department, which is the Six training camps were conducted by project were targeted under these educational activities. of their participation, and, the collateral effects government agency in charge of managing the four personnel for the frontline field staff to improve A Kannada language version of a 45-minute of the simultaneous implementation of a large project sites. The balance amount was invested in their skills in carrying out anti-poaching patrols, ‘Discovery’ documentary on Nagarahole as well internationally aided, poorly designed research, training, conservation monitoring, apprehending poachers, effective handling of fire as a 12-minute video titled “Wildlife Crisis” were conservation project at one of the project sites. conservation education and community interfacing arms and other forms of field craft and produced and exhibited. A Kannada newsletter WCS conservation partners are now continuing activities taken up by WCS conservation partners. enforcement. In addition, three workshops were titled “Nisarga” was also produced as an the long-term tiger conservation process evolved conducted for senior and junior reserve personnel educational activity. The impact of such under this project at three sites: Nagarahole, Under the research and monitoring component of to improve their skills in applying the forest and educational activities is of a long-term nature and Bhadra and Kudremukh. the project, accurate baseline maps depicting wildlife protection laws during prosecution of difficult to evaluate immediately. However, the essential ecological and management-related wildlife crimes. widespread, enthusiastic local participation and features were prepared from field surveys using the scale of project activities suggest that the Global Positioning Systems and Geographic Five training workshops were conducted for 10 educational work resulted in increased public Information Systems for all the four sites. forest department personnel and 85 local naturalist support for tiger conservation in and around the Baseline estimates of densities of prey species were volunteers, to teach them rigorous sampling-based reserves. These, a total of 266 news stories were generated using line transect sampling at three of methods for monitoring tiger and prey populations. generated in the print media on conservation issues the four sites (Nagarahole, Bhadra and Bandipur). Training was imparted in line transect and dung at the project sites and 38 news