(a) whether tigers in Bandipur forest are not having sufficient habitat space commensurate with their numbers;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is working on any action plan to resolve the issue; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a), (b), (c) & (d):- A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a), (b), (c) & (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *168 ON TIGERS IN BANDIPUR FOREST DUE FOR REPLY ON 29.11.2019
(a) & (b) The Bandipur Tiger Reserve has sufficient habitat space commensurate with its tiger numbers. Moreover, the Bandipur Tiger Reserve is part of the contiguous Western Ghats Landscape which consists of the Nagarahole and Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple Tiger Reserves in Karnataka, Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, which provide for adequate dispersal of tigers in the region. Tiger numbers in a landscape are governed by their carrying capacity which is kept under balance as per availability of habitat and prey.
(c) & (d) Tiger carrying capacity of a reserve is an integral component of the Tiger Conservation Plan mandated under section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, vis-à-vis which management interventions are decided upon to ensure adequate habitat availability of tigers.
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