Advantages and Challenges of Tiger Conservation: A Case Study on Sundarban Delta
Debaditi Goswami *
Institute of Education (P.G) for Women, Chandernagore, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Royal Bengal Tiger is a major ecological and cultural symbol in India and Bangladesh, and its conservation remains a critical concern in the Sundarbans delta. This review paper examines the need for tiger conservation in the Sundarbans and the challenges associated with it. The Sundarbans, with dense mangrove forests that contribute to climate mitigation, provides a distinctive habitat for the Royal Bengal Tiger and supports rich biodiversity. These contiguous mangrove forests sustain tigers as a keystone species that contributes to ecological balance. The paper analyses tiger conservation from ecological and sociological perspectives and reviews population trends in the Sundarbans. Historical records indicate that tiger populations declined continuously from the nineteenth century, particularly during the colonial period, when hunting, poaching and government-sanctioned rewards for killing tigers were repeatedly documented. This decline contributed to the tiger being recognised as an endangered species. The paper also reviews government initiatives introduced to address this decline. However, these initiatives have faced major challenges, including habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and escalating human-tiger conflict. Isolation caused by habitat fragmentation has further increased concerns regarding genetic diversity. Tabulated data are used to summarise tiger population trends in the Sundarbans. The paper is based entirely on secondary research methodology, and the data analysed were collected from secondary sources.
Keywords: Royal Bengal Tiger, mangrove, Sundarbans, endangered, genetic diversity, Project Tiger, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation