Tigers and Ecosystem

Tigers play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. As they are on top levels of their kingdom, they are the true rulers or rajas of the Indian jungles. Here are some facts about tigers which you really find silly at once, but they are not so silly in reality.

Tigers depend on grass!

You must be thinking that this person must have gone crazy that he is making such statements. We all know that tigers are top carnivores then how come they depend on grass? But in nature each organism is dependent upon other organism. You must have heard of food chains. Billions of these food chains exist in nature and their each level is called trophic level. Plants such as grasses form the basis of most of food chains on land as they have ability to carry out photosynthesis. Herbivores like Axis deer or chital and sambhar that form the prey basis of tigers feed upon these grasses that are further preyed upon by tigers. So, isn’t that amazing, although not directly tigers are indirectly dependent on grasses.

Tigers bring rains!

“What a foolish quote?” you must say that. Tigers don’t dance to bring rains! But in reality tigers do help in bringing rains. The simple funda is that tigers protect forests by keeping the number of herbivores in check. Without tigers these herbivores will eat up all the forests. In general forests help in cloud formation by contributing lots of water vapour in the atmosphere that they release during the process of evapo-transpiration. Thus, the same concept is proved that in nature everything is interconnected.

Tigers nurture healthy deer population!

“This time you have totally got it wrong”, you must say that. How come tiger nurture its prey? In reality, tigers generally feed upon the diseased individuals as they are easy to catch. Healthy deer generally escape from tigers as they are very agile. Thus, by feeding upon diseased individuals, the tigers maintain healthy deer population.

 

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Tiger, tiger burning bright under flames of human greed

The fading stripes

Today, while going through newspaper, I was startled when my eyes caught hold of one of the columns which reads that actual number of tigers left in India is even less than stated 1,411 mark. This news was confirmed by none other than the Environment Minister himself. This is a disgraceful moment for all of us. It’s the time for action than just a debate. The majestic golden striped cat is not only a National symbol but also an emblematic species for our forest conservation movement. In the beginning of 1901, forty thousand tigers roam freely in our jungles but in early part of this century, less than 2000 of them left. The merciless killing of these gentle felines for their meat and bones, indicate the heights of human cruelty and apathy towards its fellow species on Earth. What happened in Sariska and Panna, was fair enough to expose our materialistic intentions. Imagine a situation without these roaring beauties; our jungle will take a deserted look. God forbid, if this will occur the whole cascade of ecosystem interactions will be affected. Jungles without tigers will be a tempting pie for people who generally didn’t enter the forest because of the fear of tigers. These goons will now be free to enter the forest and plunder it from its natural resources.

The time has come for all of us to take a serious step forward towards saving our National animal. The time has come for government to revive its policies and get it freed from the clutches of red- tapism. The clock is ticking fast and the time is running out from hands. We have to understand the warning signals and jot down ourselves for taking a concrete action. Let’s save the tiger before its roars fade away from our jungles. If this happens, our future generations won’t forgive us.

Please give your valuable suggestions and help in creating an awareness network to save the tiger.

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