What role do Indias tigers play on the wilderness?
The tigers of India are the ultimate consumers in the complex food web in many of the forests ecosystems in India. The soil fertility in these ecosystems rests on the micro organisms that decompose the plant and animal residues to form humus. The diverse vegetation so supported is the food of a thriving community of herbivorous insects, birds and mammals and also helps to conserve the soil and enhance water flow. Among the terminal carnivorous users of this productivity, tiger stands at the head. Conservation of Indian tiger in its natural environment can be achieved only by total conservation of the wilderness based on an ecosystem approach, as has been established by India’s Project tiger. Truly therefore the status of tigers is the index of success as a whole, in conservation of its wilderness. A recent threat to the indian tiger population is the demannd of tiger skins for the tibetan fashion craze of fur laden robes, which is actually against sacred buddhist teachings of life.
