The Tiger Task Force was set up because of a crisis

There have been hundreds of statements made about the future of the tiger over the last few years in India and around the world. Millions of dollars have been spent on conferences, expert meetings and the bureaucracies that support them. Presidents, Prime Ministers and politicians in many parts of the world have pledged support for tiger conservation and called for a reversal in the decline of tiger populations. This report focuses on Madya Pradesh, the self-proclaimed Tiger State, as an example of the problems facing tigers nationwide.

The tiger is threatened almost exclusively by human action. It can only be saved from early extinction if effective measures are taken to combat the threats listed in this document. The immediate threat to its survival is the growing demand for its part for use in oriental medicine. Thus, urgent steps must be taken to stop the unprecedented pursuit and killing of the tiger. The tiger bone trade must be shut down at international and national levels.