THE SPLENDOUR of India's national parks is to be recreated on the Island in an ambitious project to help secure the future of the magnificent but endangered tiger.

Senior staff at the Isle of Wight Zoo, home of the Island's Tiger Sanctuary, have just returned from a fact-finding tour of India and three national parks where tigers still roam free.

Knowledge gleaned from the three-week visit is helping them shape a five-phase project to provide a series of new enclosures in which the sanctuary's 20 tigers can better display their natural instincts.

The new enclosures, costing up to £500,000, will, as far as possible, recreate the natural habitat of the tigers.

They will include a running river up to 20 metres wide in parts, caves and dense vegetation in which the tigers can prowl.

Crucially, the new enclosures are up to five times larger than the existing pens at the Sandown sanctuary. The aim is to make life better for the tigers and for the visitors to the zoo.

Coupled with the new project, the sanctuary is also looking to do its bit to secure the future of tigers in their natural habitat.

As a result of the visit to India by Isle of Wight Zoo animal manager Charlotte Corney and zoo manager Greg Hailes, links have been established with national parks in which the tigers live in the wild.

Charlotte and Greg are now hoping to make regular donations to one of these parks, Kanha.

"It is all about doing our bit to preserve the natural habitats in the wild," said Greg.

"The money we hope to be able to send should go a long way."

The cash may be used in a variety of ways, including funding anti-poaching patrol units, forestry, preservation of wetlands and grasslands, fire control and road maintenance.

"Wherever possible, local villagers are being used in this work," said Greg.

In return, the Isle of Wight Zoo is able to use the experience of the people working with the tigers in India.

"And these are the people who really know their animals.

"Theirs is not the knowledge of someone who has studied books, it is that of someone who works daily with wild tigers in their own environment," said Greg.

When the pair returned, they were buzzing with ideas for the sanctuary.

Charlotte said: "We came back with a far clearer idea of what we would like to achieve here.

"The vision of what we wanted was a lot clearer thanks to all we had seen in the three weeks away.

"We were also able to learn so much through the experiences of the people working out in the national parks."

A main aim now for Charlotte and Greg is to try to pass on this knowledge to visitors to the Isle of Wight Zoo.

Charlotte said that through education, the plight of wild tigers could be highlighted.

It is hoped that the new work will attract more visitors to hear the message of Charlotte and her staff.

Sandown landscapers Ecclestone and George have been commissioned for the five-year project.

A 35-metre section of river has already been dug out, which will eventually snake its way through the new five-acre development.

That was completed by a gang of Royal Navy engineers who offered a week of labour.

Greg said: "When complete, the closures will be huge by British standards and among the biggest in Europe."

The new enclosures could also pave the way for a return by the sanctuary to its breeding programme.