India is a beautiful home to diverse wildlife. Its rich heritage of forests, grasslands, ecosystems thrive together in harmony. If any of these systems are compromised, there will a conflict that will cause discord. One such species is our very Tiger from the cat family. According to a recent study, the number of tigers in India has fallen from 40,000 to only 1706 remaining. This number is really saddening! Just by being sad doesn’t help. We need to work towards a goal that will save endangered tigers. The diminishing numbers of tiger population is a serious issue. Humans don’t understand the fact the by poaching tigers will in turn affect their own survival.
How a Tiger in the Jungle Can Influence Humans Lives
Culture:
The entire Indian mythology speak about various instances where tigers are a part of their lives. In addition, tiger has been revered to as the guardian of the forest. As per Hindu mythology, tiger created rain and stopped the drought that was prevalent. The farmers could grow crops and was responsible for the human race. Moreover, in one part of northern Bengal, both Hindus and Muslims worship tiger. Tigers are an integral part of scroll painting in Muslims. There are also seen in Warli paintings by the Warli tribes.
Food Chain:
Tigers are carnivorous animals and top the food pyramid. They keep the population of deer, bucks, rhinos, and zebras in check. Without the tiger to control them these species would expand and eat up the entire vegetation. If the vegetation in the jungles is depleted, smaller animals, and insects wouldn’t survive. Therefore, the insects will move to the crops in farmlands, where the vital crops would be eaten up or infested. This would highly affect human populations. Thus, the inter-dependency of various living forms in a food chain is utmost necessary.
Tourism:
There are approximately 40 tiger reserves in India. Plenty of tiger reserves in India flourish due to the tourism industry. The Tiger Reserves at Corbett in Uttrakhand, Kanha, Periyar in Kerala, Bandhavgarh & Panna in Madhya Pradesh, Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Kaziranga in Asam, and Meighat in Maharashtra have seen a decline in the number of tourists visiting each year. The decreasing number of tigers have given rise to these few tourists. As a result, many of the government bodies and var
ious NGOs, individuals, have come together to save endangered tigers in our country.
Ecosystems & Natural Diversity:
It is a known fact that tigers and other carnivorous contribute a lot to the natural habitat and ecosystems. The services these animals offer are protection from natural disasters and soil erosion, medicinal plant genetic diversity, carbon sequestration, and blooming of natural diversity. Thus, the measurements taken to protect tigers in their natural habitats will automatically lead to global benefits. Since tigers feed on mammalian herbivores such as chinkara, chital, and sambar in their natural habitats or reserve area, they keep the herbivore population in check and thus help to preserve the forests. Saving endangered tigers will offer immense ecological services in terms of carbon storage value as well.
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