Why the government wants to focus on restoring struggling tiger reserves

📌 Summary:

• The Environment Ministry and Rajasthan Forest Department marked the 18th anniversary of tiger reintroduction at Sariska Tiger Reserve (Aravallis, Alwar), which had earlier lost all its tigers
• The Centre released two assessments: a roadmap for managing tigers, and lessons from 12 reintroduction initiatives — arguing focus must go beyond counting numbers to reserves with low tiger density
• India's tiger population rose from 1,411 (2006) to 3,682 (2022) across 58 reserves over ~85,000 sq km; growth has sustained at ~6% annually
• Uneven distribution: 10-12 reserves hold ~36% of tigers; 12 reserves have fewer than 3 tigers; Kawal, Kamlang and Dampa have zero tigers
• "Source populations" (high habitat/prey/tiger numbers) vs "sink populations" (no breeding tigers/poor connectivity) — dispersal from high-density parks causes human-wildlife conflict, livestock dependence, and mortality on railways/roads/canals
• Causes of the imbalance: forest fragmentation, poor prey in sink areas, weak connectivity, and human pressure; a well-connected landscape (metapopulation) is key for genetic exchange and reducing extinction risk
• Plan: consolidate source populations in 13 reserves (Corbett, Bandipur, Kaziranga); priority interventions in 25 reserves (including reintroduction where <5 tigers remain); NTCA + Wildlife Institute of India created an index of habitat/prey/tiger status; Central India & Eastern Ghats have the most priority reserves, while NE Hills & Brahmaputra floodplains offer recovery potential

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (biodiversity conservation) — Project Tiger, metapopulation management, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat connectivity.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Tiger census 2022: 3,682 tigers across 58 reserves
• Sariska is in Rajasthan (Aravalli range); reserves with zero tigers: Kawal, Kamlang, Dampa
• NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) + Wildlife Institute of India conduct assessments
• Source reserves cited: Corbett, Bandipur, Kaziranga

🔑 Key Term: Metapopulation — a network of spatially separated populations (here, tiger reserves) connected by dispersal, enabling genetic exchange and lowering extinction risk.