Beyond the Core Zone
Understand why India’s Tiger success demands Regenerative Wildlife Tourism. Discover how Buffer zones can provide Sustainable solution for this.
The Success Problem
India is home to around 75% of world’s estimated tiger population with 3682 tigers in 2022, from 2967 in 2018 and 1411 in 2006. This remarkable conservation achievement also comes with new management challenges, raised human wildlife conflicts, territorial fights (which leads to tiger deaths), increased tiger density within a range, and high tourism demand.
The solution lies beyond the core. Buffer zones provide larger space to sustain thriving tiger population, new opportunities for community participation, diversified tourism experience models and rebirth of old corridors back to existence.
Why does the Buffer Zone Matters?
The NTCA regulations restrict tourism to be done only in 20% of the core area of Tiger reserves. With ever increasing visitor demand, the core can’t absorb this pressure for long. Buffer areas are where forests, wildlife, villages, local communities, and agricultural landscapes converge. Through Eco-Development Committees, Eco-Clubs, and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) - livelihood opportunities and landscape restoration work can be established in these areas.
Can Buffer Zone Tourism will be a Success?
Yes why not. But not by replicating it like the Core zone safari experience. Destinations like Satpura, Kanha, Pench and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves have set a strong example for such initiatives by combining jeep safaris with birding, nature walks, Kanha-Pench corridor cycling trails, walking safari and camping expeditions in Satpura buffer, village experiences, cultural interactions, canoeing, kayaking and boat safaris. Recently night safaris got banned, but it was also an added excursion for the tourists. See, if we try to promote it just for tiger sightings in buffer, it won’t work.
Reviving buffer tourism will be achieved only by diversifying experiences, creating new activities beyond jeep safaris. Recently declared tiger reserves have a great opportunity to promote buffer alongside core as Immersive Wilderness experiences by establishing better infrastructure, local community involvement, village enterprise setup for their crafts and revenue sharing model for equal benefits. Thus taking it forward to Regenerative Wildlife Tourism in India.