The document provides information on tigers, including their classification, description, historical and present status, Project Tiger conservation efforts in India, tiger poaching statistics, the current tiger population in India, penalties for wildlife crimes, and tiger reserves in India. It summarizes that tigers are classified as mammals in the cat family, were once more widespread but are now endangered with around 3,000-4,500 remaining in the wild, and that Project Tiger aims to ensure viable tiger populations through habitat protection and combating poaching.

2. Classification of Tiger
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Pantherna
Spicies: Tigris

3. Description of Tiger
Length: 4.6-12.2 ft.
Height: 3/3 1/2 ft.
Weight: 220-675 pounds
Colors and markings: Orange
With a white belly and black
stripes
Shape: oval body that is low
to the ground

4. Historical Status
There were once nine subspecies of tigers:
Bengal, Siberian, Indochinese, South Chinese,
Sumatran, Malayan, Caspian, Javan and Bali.
Of these, the last three are extinct, one is extinct
in the wild, and the rest are endangered.
In the early 1900s, there were around 100,000
tigers throughout their range.

6. Present Status
•Tigers are endangered and there are a total
of around 3,000-4,500 exist in the wild.
•South Chinese tigers are extinct in the wild.
•The Javan, Bali, and Caspian tiger are extinct.

8. Project Tiger
Project Tiger was launched in 1973 in India. The
project aims at ensuring a viable population of tiger
in their natural habitats and preserving areas of
biological importance as a natural heritage for the
people. The selection of areas for the reserves
represented as close as possible the diversity of
ecosystem across the tiger's distribution in the
country.

9. •Project Tiger is administered by the NATIONAL
TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY. The
overall administration of the project is monitored
by a Steering Committee.
•The project's task force visualized these tiger
reserves as breeding nuclei, from which surplus
animals would emigrate to adjacent forests.
•The government has set-up a Tiger Protection
Force to combat poachers, and funded the
relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimize
human-tiger conflicts

10. •Wireless communication system and
outstation patrol camps have been developed
within the tiger reserves, due to which
poaching has declined considerably.
• Fire protection engineering is carried out by
suitable preventive and control measures.
Villages have been relocated in many
reserves, especially from core areas.
•Livestock grazing has been controlled to a
great extent in the tiger reserves.

11. Goals and objectives
Project Tiger was meant to identify the limiting factors
and to mitigate them by suitable management. The
damages done to the habitat were to be rectified so as
to facilitate the recovery of the ecosystem to the
maximum possible extent.
The potential tiger habitats being covered are::
Goals and objectives
•Sivalik–Terai Conservation Unit (Uttaranchal, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal), and in Nepal
North east Conservation Unit
•Sunderbans Conservation Unit
•Central Indian Conservation Unit
•Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit
•Western Ghat Conservation Units

12. WPSI's Tiger Poaching Statistics
The WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF
INDIA (WPSI) works with government
enforcement agencies to apprehend tiger poachers
and traders throughout India. WPSI also makes
every effort to investigate and verify any seizure of
tiger parts and unnatural tiger deaths that are
brought to our notice.

13. To date, WPSI has documented the following cases:
95 cases of tigers known to have been killed in 1994
121 tigers killed in 1995
52 tigers killed in 1996
88 tigers killed in 1997
39 tigers killed in 1998
81 tigers killed in 1999
52 tigers killed in 2000
72 tigers killed in 2001
46 tigers killed in 2002
38 tigers killed in 2003
38 tigers killed in 2004
46 tigers killed in 2005
37 tigers killed in 2006
27 tigers killed in 2007
29 tigers killed in 2008
32 tigers killed in 2009
30 tigers killed in 2010
13 tigers killed in 2011

15. Current Status of Tiger in India
India holds over half the world's tiger population.
According to the latest tiger census report
released on March 28, 2011 by the National Tiger
Conservation Authority, the current tiger
population estimated is 1,706 (i.e. ranging
between a minimum of 1,571 to a maximum of
1,875). The results include figures from 17 Indian
states with a tiger population.

16. PENALTIES
A general offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act,
1972, attracts a maximum sentence of three years
imprisonment or a fine which may extend to Rs. 25,000
or both.
An offence involving a species listed in Schedule I or
Part II of Schedule II, or an offence committed within a
sanctuary or natural park, attracts a mandatory prison
term of three years, which may extend to seven years.
There is also a mandatory fine of at least Rs. 10,000. For
a subsequent offence, the prison term remains the
same, while the mandatory fine is at least Rs.25,000.

17. List of Tiger Reserves in India
Bandhavgarh Namdapha
Bandipur Pakhui-Nameri
Bhadra Palamau
Bori-Satpura Panna
Buxa Pench (Madhya Pradesh)
Corbett Pench (Maharashtra)
Dampa Periyar
Dudhwa Ranthambore
Indravati Sariska
Kalakad-Mundanthurai Similipal
Kanha Sundarbans
Manas Tadoba-Andhari
Melghat Valmiki
Nagarjunasagar

18. Success Rate Of Project Tiger
It was merely months back when the Indian government
pulled up their socks and did a census revealing a
staggering low number of 1411 tigers left in open. All the
media and eco-conservationists turned their heads
towards India and started a campaign “Project Tiger”
dedicating the year 2010 to the Tiger savior year.
A recent statement by Jayaram Ramesh, member of
Indian cabinet, declared good signs with the tiger
population about 1700+.