India: Wildlife official says "more focused thinking" needed for tiger conservation
Proactive action on the part of the Forest Department could place Assam in the forefront of the tiger conservation programme in the country. This would be possible due to the advantages that the state already possesses, which include a stable and growing population of the highly protected species.
A well-placed source in the Forest Department told The Assam Tribune that there was a need for “more focused thinking and intervention” to protect the tiger, which has a sizeable population in Kaziranga and few other protected areas. He favoured a policy that embraced more areas in the state where the presence of tigers was documented by independent observers.
There are reports which indicate that apart from tigers being located in Kaziranga, Manas and Nameri, the range of the animal extends into a number of eeserve forests in Assam and adjoining states. In total, the state could now possess a tiger population hovering around 180.