TIGER By The Tail

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS HAD A HUGE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON TOURISM, INCLUDING WILDLIFE TOURISM. WHAT DOES THE TOURISM LOCKOUT HAVE IN STORE FOR OUR NATIONAL ANIMAL? JULIAN MATTHEWS WEIGHS IN

- JULIAN MATTHEWS

It’s only a few months ago we were celebrating the remarkable story of the bounce back of one of the world’s most loved—and feared—creatures, the Royal Bengal Tiger. from an estimated low of 1,400 in 2004, the Indian government and its forest departments went into overdrive and have turned around the animal’s dire extinction predictions, and reported a doubling of wild tigers across India’s forests in July last year. with a tsunami of environmental horror stories over the last decade—here at last was great news.

Could this all be about to collapse thanks to the latest threat to humanity—COVID-19—and the social and economic lockdown that is the tragic result?

“No, not yet, but it’s already having an impact,” says Dr G.V. Reddy, the stalwart principle Chief Conservator of Rajasthan. “It’s a problem, from earning Rs 25 crores (US$3.3 million) from Ranthambhore park gate fees alone, that helps us pay for livestock kill compensation, village works and park protection, to suddenly having to pay a lot of it back. This is not good for us, or for the thousands of our bordering communities who now have no income from tourism. This is not yet a problem—but it can’t last for too long.”

The good news is that the forest departments across India are exempt from the travel restrictions, and so the guarding, intelligence and protection can go on as before, but will need added intensity and surveillance over the coming weeks.