Dehradun
India’s first repository on tigers will be set up by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under its new Tiger Cell at Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The cell will have a database of tigers from over 50 reserves around the country along with their DNA and stripes samples to keep a track on their numbers. If a tiger skin is recovered, the tiger cell will help in locating the area from where it came from. The purpose of the repository is to aid conservation efforts by keeping an update on tiger numbers as well as tracking poaching incidents throughout the country. The tiger cell will be funded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment. It will also give clearance to development projects in areas with tiger population.