Conservation Biology
Terai Arc Landscape
Although many people may not be aware that the Bengal tiger is endangered, the drastic loss in population did not go unnoticed by governments and wildlife organizations as many conservations programs have been established. One of the most important programs is found in the Terai Arc landscape in the foothills of the Himalayas. Found in northern India and in southern Nepal, this 5300 square kilometer of land ("Tigers of the Transboundary Terai Arc Landscape", 2014) with dry forest and tall grass is one of several conservation programs emposed by India. Not only does the mass amounts of land provide a perfect area for the tigers to roam without being poached, the Terai Arc landscape is also divided into several sections to protect the genetic line of tigers as well as maintain ecological integrity.(Brannan, 2014).
Conservation Efforts in India
As population of the Bengal tiger continued to decrease, countries such as India began to take drastic measures to ensure that the Bengal tiger does not go extinct. India began to fight the population decrease with the launch of Project Tiger in 1972 that was meant to preserve biologically important areas and make sure that enough Bengal tigers remain in the country (Brannan, 2014). In the same year Project tiger was launched, the Indian government imposed the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 that allowed governmental agencies to enforce laws against poaching and ensure that the Bengal tiger remained protected (Brannan, 2014)
Effectiveness Of Conservation Efforts
After numerous laws and millions invested into preserving the Bengal tiger, the future began to look bright as the Bengal tiger’s situation began to improve. By the late 1980’s Project Tiger along with the Terai Arc landscape had grown from nine to thirteen reservations sites for the tiger, spreading over 24,700 square kilometers. By 1984 it was believe that the population rose and the reservations sites were home to over 1,100 tigers and by the mid 1990’s the total population of tigers in India had reached 3,642. Although the Bengal tigers began to show a steady increase, this did not last long as yet again the population drastically dropped and from 2002 to 2008 the population was believed to be yet again at an extremely low 1,400 ("Tiger Conservation In India", n.d.).