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Tiger recovery amid people and poverty
Yadvendradev V Jhala1, Ninad Avinash Mungi1,2, Rajesh Gopal3
1Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 30, 2025
Summary
India
Area of Science:
- Conservation Biology
- Wildlife Ecology
- South Asian Ecology
Background:
- Large carnivore recovery is a significant global conservation challenge.
- India's high human population presents unique socio-ecological dynamics for megafauna recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the socio-ecological drivers of tiger (Panthera tigris) recovery in India.
- To understand the factors influencing tiger occupancy and range expansion in a human-dominated landscape.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of tiger occupancy trends over two decades.
- Assessment of habitat use in relation to protected areas and human populations.
- Correlation of tiger absence with socio-economic and land-use factors.
Main Results:
- Tiger occupancy in India increased by 30% over 20 years, covering approximately 138,200 sq km.
- Tigers occupied protected areas and expanded into human-shared adjacent habitats.
- Tiger extinction was linked to armed conflict, poverty, and land-use change.
Conclusions:
- Land sparing for tigers facilitated land sharing when socioeconomic prosperity and political stability were present.
- India's tiger recovery offers a model for megafauna recovery in the Global South.
- Successful recovery requires balancing conservation with human needs and stable socio-political conditions.
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