SACRED SPACE: Tiger Tales

A tiger symbolises unlimited power. Durga riding a tiger indicates that She possesses unlimited power and uses it to protect virtue and destroy evil. Durga Ashtotram

Although they fear tiger attacks, the people of Sundarbans have turned the tiger into an object of veneration... Montgomery concludes that Sundarbans has been protected by the tigers who, watching over the mangrove wilderness, prevent humankind from destroying their own habitat. Howard Mansfield on Spell of the Tiger.

Better to live one year as a tiger, than a hundred as a sheep. Madonna

From the oyster to the eagle, from the swine to the tiger, all animals are to be found in men and each of them exists in some man, sometimes several at the same time. Animals are nothing but the portrayal of our virtues and vices made manifest to our eyes, the visible reflections of our souls. God displays them to us to give us food for thought. Victor Hugo

The living self has one purpose only: to come into its own fullness of being, as a tree comes into full blossom, or a bird into spring beauty, or a tiger into lustre. D H Lawrence
Source: Times of india
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Our response /addition to this article:
Tiger is the vehicle of Lord Ayyappa. Lord Ayyappa is believed to be lived south India In Pandalam dynasty in south kerala. He is beleved to be the god to rescue human beings in this 'Kaliyuga' and is a forest dweller. The temple is located in 'Poonkavanam' wchich is encircled by 18 mountains.

The Temple of lord Ayyapa is located in Sabarimala in PERIYAR TIGER RESERVE. The place is abode of many endamic and endangered flora and fauna. It is also a unique low altitude evergreen forests in Western Ghats.

About 40 lakh pilgrims visit the temple every year in the "Mandala-Makara Vilakku" festival season each year. the festival season is between mid november and January 20th. A total of about 5 lakh pilgrims visit in a year in other temple opening days - that is the first week of every malayalam months.

Now the "development" in Sabarimala is wiping out the devine ecosystem. Only Concrete jungles can be found in the virgin(?)ecosystem. All such developments are made in the name of providing facilities to Pilgirms. ( with out any concrete / scientific data The devaswom board exagerates the pilgrim number to 5crore /6core etc!) But pilgrims are interested in pure natural ecosystem in which the temple of "Kanana Vaasan Ayyappan" is placed!

Save Indian Tiger

India has been home to Tigers for a very long time. If one has seen a Tiger they are just awed by the beauty, power and aura of the magnificent beast. Tigers were found all over India and still as many as 16 States of India are home to the Tigers. The latest census report released on 12th. February, 2008 by the Government of India reports that there are only 1411 tigers left. The population of the Tiger has been reduced by nearly 50% and that too in a period of 6 to 7 years.
It is time that emergency and drastic steps are taken to save the pride of jungle and pride of India from becoming extinct.

The causes of the fast decrease in the Tiger population are well known both by the government and common people. The increasing pressure on Tiger habitats due to agriculture, industrialization and degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats, forests and natural grasslands are one of the main reasons for the decrease of Tiger population and for that matter all wildlife in India. The immediate effect of this is lack of natural food and habitat causes the wild animals to come out of the forest area. This tends to increase the conflicts between the humans and animals. The other reason for the population decrease is Poaching, which has been on rise recently. There is a slogan I have been hearing for quit some time, " If the buying stops, the selling will stop". I think the rich people who are the only one who can afford buying the skins for their fancies are probably deaf, as they cannot seem to hear the slogan.

The poaching problem should be dealt with strictly by the Government of India and the concerned State Governments. The Forest Department of India is severely understaffed and they do not have the modern weapons and technology to protect the Forest areas. The laws for the animal protection should be revised.

The poachers should be shot dead on sight. How can a forest guard armed with a stick [danda] or an outdated rifle fight the heavily armed poachers to protect the animals. It is time the Government of India acts urgently.

The people of India should also join hands to save the Tiger. NDTV India has started a campaign to save the Tigers, please help the cause by signing the petition, please go to the link below to sign the petition online and help the Tiger.

NDTV India : Save The Tiger
Other links for more information on Tiger Saving projects are:
* WWF
* The WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI)
Source: http://incobra.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/save-the-tigers-the-last-stand/

Will the tiger survive with the budget 'decleration'?

source Reuters

By Krittivas Mukherjee

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will spend $12.5 million to create a special force to guard its last surviving tigers, as numbers dwindle in the face of rampant poaching and destruction of their habitat.
Poorly armed and badly paid guards, mismanagement and corruption undermine the protection of tigers in India. There are thought to be just 1,411 left in India, according to a new survey that cut numbers by half since 2002 census. The decline is even more alarming considering India had about 40,000 tigers a century ago. Conservationists say it is unlikely the dwindling population will ever recover, but the government is not giving up just yet. On Friday, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram announced a $12.5 million one-off grant, mainly to raise, arm and deploy a special Tiger Protection Force.

"The number 1,411 should ring the alarm bell. That is the number of tigers in India," he told parliament, presenting his budget for 2008/09. "The tiger is under grave threat."
A severe lack of funds has meant forest guards and other staff have to wait up to a year to be paid and key positions have been left vacant. Some of those money problems are being addressed, but experts say wildlife planning needs to be much better. For instance, experts say around 300,000 of India's poorest people living in its 28 tiger reserves need to be shifted out because many of them help poachers kill tigers and cut down forests.

Conservationists say recruits for the tiger protection force should come from tribesmen and forest communities, to help wean them away from poachers and use their expertise.
"Any benefit of a program has to show on the ground," said A. Johnsingh, wildlife expert and adviser to World Wildlife Fund-India. In January, India said it would spend an estimated $150 million to save its tigers over the next five years, using some of the money to shift villages and tribal communities out of tiger habitats. It will also establish eight new tiger reserves.
(Editing by Simon Denyer and Jerry Norton)