ECO TOURISM IN INDIA THE ECO TOURISM SOCIETY

ECO TOURISM IN INDIA

THE ECO TOURISM SOCIETY OF INDIA: GREEN AND CLEAN INDIA • The effect of tourism on the environment, wild life and natural resources had been a topic of discussion and debate in various forums and national bodies for a long time now, which is now a global concern. The Government of India has taken lead with positive steps for the Green and clean environment as well as to protect India’s precious natural resources through various legislations as well as awareness campaigns, which are well-noticed by the international bodies.

OBJECTIVES • To act as watchdog for excessive consumption of natural resources and any negative impact in the tourism sector. • To support research in tourism environment related areas. • Work with Service Providers to enhance quality of their product and services to a level so they can be sustainable and eco-friendly. • Encourage use of appropriate local practices, materials, art, craft, architecture, food. • Encourage minimal conspicuous consumption and prevent excessive consumption of energy. • Encourage energy saving practices, water harvesting, use of solar and other natural energy sources. • Encourage good waste management practices especially non-bio degradable materials. • Encourage low pollution-generating practices minimize carbon footprint.

AND ALSO… • The WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI) was founded in 1994. WPSI's main aim has been to bring a new focus to the daunting task of tackling India's growing wildlife crisis. It does this by providing support and information to government authorities to combat poaching and the escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers.

TIGERS’ LOCATION IN INDIA

THE TIGER IN INDIA • Habitat and Distribution: In India, the tiger is found practically throughout the country, from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin, except in Punjab, Kutch and the deserts of Rajasthan. In the northeast, its range extends into Burma. Tigers occupy a variety of habitats including tropical evergreen forests, deciduous forests, mangrove swamps, thorn forests and grass jungles.

• BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS Tigers are usually solitary, except for females with cubs. They are territorial and males have discrete territories overlapping those of several females. Male territories are mate oriented while those of females are more resource oriented. Tigers use scent (spraying urine on the trees or other vegetation or deposited on a scrape), scratch (marking on tree trunks with claws) and scrape marks on the ground to maintain contact and advertise their presence to others. Males associate with females for breeding and have been observed with females and cubs when feeding and resting. Although tigers mate and produce cubs throughout the year in India, peak breeding activity is in winter and early summer. During breeding, which lasts about 20 to 30 days, males and females communicate with each other with loud and distinct calls that travel great distances. About 8 different kinds vocalizations have been documented in tigers from the wild.

DIET • Tigers are meat eaters. Their diet includes chital, sambar, gaur, barasingha, hog deer, barking deer, nilgai, pigs and cattle. Apart from large prey, tigers are also known to consume birds like peafowl and large rodents like porcupines. They are even known to attack elephants and rhino calves. Tigers in the Sundarbans are known to feed on fish and crabs. • TIGER RESERVES IN INDIA:

ENDANGERED… • During their evolutionary history, tigers split into eight subspecies. All the subspecies were alive until 1940. However, during the next three decades, three subspecies became extinct. • The five surviving subspecies are: 1. Bengal Tiger - Panthera tigris 2. Siberian (Amurian) Tiger - Panthera tigris altaica 3. Sumatran Tiger - Panthera tigris sumatrae 4. Indo-Chinese Tiger - Panthera tigris corbetti 5. South China Tiger - Panthera tigris amoyensis • The three extinct subspecies are: 1. Javan Tiger - Panthera tigris sondaica - extinct since early 1980’s 2. Bali Tiger - Panthera tigris balica - extinct since the 1940’s 3. Caspian Tiger - Panthera tigris virgata - extinct since the early 1970’s