Thousands Protest Against Tiger Sanctuary Expansion

15,000 people turned out in protest against the expansion of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in India this week, despite assurances that the expansion won’t be at the cost of their homes.

This is the 3rd such protest since November.

In 2006 a government report suggested that thousands of homes would be in danger when the much needed expansion went ahead, but this is now no longer the case.

There are currently 1,411 tigers in India according to a government census, down from over 40,000 a few centuries ago.

Shrinking habitat areas and poaching are the main reasons for such a dramatic decline, and this reserve is meant to try to combat that.

It is one of a number of initiatives by the Indian government to try save its dwindling tiger population.

With desperate poverty rife in many Indian villages located near tigers’ habitats, poachers were using locals to help them in their activities, and education and cash incentives have had little impact.

The ‘Tiger Project’, as it is known, is keen to stress that the protests are against the creation of the buffer zone around the tiger wildlife reserve, and not a direct attack on the 125 mile tiger reserve.