Feb. 22 – India opened its 38th reserve and Kerala’s second last week in the Sungam range of hills between the Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills.

The Parambikulam Tiger Reserve formerly called the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary has been expanded to 643 square kilometers from 285 square kilometers with the addition of more forests. The reserve takes care of about 20 tigers in addition to 51 species of reptiles, 204 species of birds, 160 varieties of butterflies and other species.

India’s tiger population has been decreasing with only 1,411 left according to official estimates due to illegal poaching, mining and loss of natural habitat. This is a 60 percent decline from 2002.

In comparison, China has five indigenous species of tigers kept in reservatoon sites located in Jidong, Heilongjiang, and Hunchun, nearby the Russia, North Korean border.

India’s minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh told Reuters last year that the use of tiger parts in Chinese medicine was encouraging the poaching of India’s tigers. He added that China was also operating tiger farms in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and stimulated demand.

Chinese medicine uses tiger bones for an alcoholic health tonic that claims to cure arthritis and rheumatism. A WWF overview of the tiger species can be found here.