India Launches Project Tiger to Save Its Vanishing Tigers

By the early 1970s, the number of wild tigers in India had collapsed to an estimated 1,827 animals, down drastically from an estimated 40,000 recorded at the close of the nineteenth century. Widespread hunting, habitat loss, and diminishing prey numbers drove this severe decline, prompting growing concern within India and abroad. The Indian Board of Wildlife, which had originally formed in 1952 to advise the national government on conservation policy, convened a specialized task force to investigate how to halt the loss of the species. Following the recommendations of this advisory body, the Government of India formally launched Project Tiger at Corbett National Park on 1 April 1973.

The initiative established a legal and institutional framework designed to halt the decline of the big cats by preserving their natural habitats. Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, as amended in 2006, individual state governments are now tasked with preparing Tiger Conservation Plans for their reserves. These state plans handle the active planning, regular maintenance, and daily management of notified protected areas. They also provide for field personnel to safeguard tigers, along with the co-predators and prey species required to sustain viable ecological systems in each designated reserve.