Why the government wants to focus on restoring struggling tiger reserves

📌 Summary:

• Context: marking the 18th anniversary of tiger reintroduction at Sariska (Aravallis, Alwar) — which had earlier lost all its tigers — the Environment Ministry released two assessments: a roadmap for future tiger management and a lessons-learnt review of 12 reintroduction initiatives
• Core shift: move beyond simply counting tiger numbers to reviving reserves with low tigers; include parks with poor habitat and prey to aid recovery and enable dispersal from reserves at peak carrying capacity to newer habitats
• Key data: tiger population rose from 1,411 (2006) to 3,682 (2022) across 58 reserves spanning ~85,000 sq km, growing ~6% annually
• But growth is uneven: 10-12 reserves hold ~36% of the population; 12 reserves have fewer than 3 tigers; three (Kawal, Kamlang, Dampa) have zero tigers
• The core problem — "source" vs "sink" populations: source sites have high habitat, prey and tiger numbers; sink sites lack breeding tigers or connectivity, threatening long-term conservation
• Dispersal to forest edges/farmland raises human-wildlife conflict, livestock dependence, and mortality from railways, roads and canals
• Roadmap recommendations: consolidate source populations in 13 reserves (e.g., Corbett, Bandipur, Kaziranga); priority interventions in at least 25 reserves, including reintroductions where fewer than five tigers remain; identify "recipient sites"

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (biodiversity conservation, Project Tiger/NTCA, human-wildlife conflict, habitat connectivity) — moving conservation from population counts to ecosystem and corridor health.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Tiger population: 1,411 (2006) to 3,682 (2022); 58 tiger reserves over ~85,000 sq km
• Reserves with zero tigers: Kawal, Kamlang, Dampa
• Sariska (Rajasthan, Aravallis) saw tiger reintroduction 18 years ago after losing all its tigers
• ~10-12 reserves hold ~36% of India's tigers; annual growth ~6%

🔑 Key Term: Source-sink dynamics — "source" habitats produce a surplus that disperses to "sink" habitats which cannot sustain populations on their own; conservation must strengthen sources and connect them to sinks.