The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been under pressure to produce results, especially after it acknowledged some months ago that the population of the big cat has declined sharply. Reintroducing tigers into Rajasthan's Sariska reserve, where the animal went locally extinct about four years ago, is a predictable first-order priority for the authority. A success here is bound to encourage intensified conservation efforts and also help forest managers live down the ignominious wipe-out. As the NTCA acknowledges in its 2008 report on the "Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India,' there is no contiguous link between Sariska and Ranthambore, the closest reserve with significant tiger density. This makes it vital for people living in the area to be resettled satisfactorily, and incompatible forest use, including free movement through the reserve, to be ended. Ideally, these steps must be complete before sub-adult tigers are released into Sariska. But the generally poor track record on resettlement offers little hope, considering that a core habitat of 700 sqkm, if not the 1,000 sqkm suggested by scientists, needs to be secured. The NTCA move to attach radio collars to the tigers being relocated is a welcome recognition of the value of scientific tools in conservation. For the plan to yield useful data, biologists must monitor the collared cats on a continuous basis; camera traps could provide additional information on predator, prey, and other species. This is a good opportunity for the NTCA to forge a partnership with independent research organisations. More importantly, Sariska cannot be a stand-alone operation; it needs to become part of a long-term conservation plan. Tigers are recorded in the northeast, central India, the Shivalik-Gangetic plains, and the Western Ghats. Since the Ghats are a vast protected area relatively insulated from population pressures, they are the most promising long-term habitat for tigers. The value of this landscape and the need for inviolate areas is emphasised by the Status of Tigers report. Creeping commercial pressures, however, pose a serious threat. There is a demand for more road building and construction of alternative energy projects of dubious value inside sanctuaries, and it must be firmly resisted. Vehicular traffic in prime tiger habitats such as Bandipur, Mudumalai, and Waynad is increasing, and curbs are necessary, especially at night. Sariska-like situations need to be prevented at all costs.