Animals on the Edge

India: Creating new tiger habitat

Aims

The project’s aim is to create a network of water sources within Kanha NP, encouraging deer into an area of the Park currently unsuited to tigers due to a lack of prey.

Overview

Kanha National Park is India’s largest tiger reserve. Split into five core zones, the majority of the Park’s tigers are concentrated in the two main tourist zones of Kanha and Mukki. Elsewhere in the Park, the tiger’s range is limited due to a shortage of available water and prey species. This has led to an overpopulation of tigers in the two tourist zones and the deaths of at least four tigers in 2009 due to territorial disputes. In order to relieve the pressure on the tiger population in Kanha and Mukki core zones, in Spring 2009 Animals on the Edge, working with the Kanha National Park authorities and a local NGO, AHEAD, funded the building of seven natural waterholes in strategic locations in two of the outlying core zones, Bhaisanghat and Supkhar. By providing sufficient water, prey species are attracted into the area, which, in turn, will encourage tigers to follow. Work on Phase 1 of the project (waterhole construction) began in April 2009 and was completed prior to the summer monsoon, enabling the waterholes to fill naturally. Early reports show an abundance of new wildlife, particularly spotted deer - a favourite prey of tigers - visiting the area.

Future Actions

AOTE will continue to monitor the progress of the project, in particular recording the diversity and numbers of prey species, as well as tigers in the area. This research will enable us to assess the need for future habitat management initiatives