Save tigers of subcontinent

India will seek cooperation from Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries to help preserve the dwindling tiger population in the subcontinent.
"We will take up tiger poaching at a bilateral level with the neighbouring countries, particularly those touching the tiger reserves on the border areas of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh where a few big cats are left in the wild," said Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
He said unless there is a collective initiative to save tigers, it would not be possible to protect the endangered animal.
China has, however, given a lukewarm response to the issue of tiger poaching and India is now banking on other neighbouring countries having a population of the big cats to curb trade in parts and skins of the animal.
Body parts of tigers are of great demand in china for traditional medicine for cure of number of ailments.
Around 3,000 tigers are left in the world with India having nearly 1,300 in the wild.
Meanwhile, India is forming a special force to save tigers from poachers at the world famous Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
After studying the impact of the force in securing the 160-odd tiger population in the Corbett Park, the project would be replicated in other national parks, said Uttarakhand's Chief Principal Conservator of forests R B S Rawat.
Ethnic people who live in the vicinity of the Corbett Park would be a part of the special force to guard the tigers.