Vanishing stripes: 25 of 75 tigers missing in Ranthambore park | India News – Times of India

JAIPUR: As many as 25 tigers, out of a population of around 75 in the tiger reserve in Ranthambore National Park (RNP) in Rajasthan, have “disappeared” in the past year, Rajasthan’s chief wildlife officer Pavan Kumar Upadhyay told RNP authorities on Monday.
This is the first time that such a large number of tigers have been officially reported missing. In 2022, 13 tigers were reportedly missing from Ranthambore National Park. However, this happened over a three-year period, between January 2019 and January 2022.
The large number of missing cats has created panic in Rajasthan. The Chief Wildlife Inspector on Monday constituted a three-member committee to investigate the disappearance of the tigers. The committee will review the monitoring reports and recommend action against officials if negligence by the park administration is found.
Increase in human-wildlife conflict in Ranthambore
The department’s main objective is to locate the 14 tigers that went missing in just four months, between May 17 and September 30 this year.
According to an official order dated November 4, repeated reports of missing tigers have emerged from assessment monitoring within the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR).
“Despite several letters sent to the RTR field director, no satisfactory changes have been observed. According to a report dated October 14, 2024, there has been no concrete evidence of eleven tigers for over a year, and substantial evidence of fourteen other tigers has also not been found. In view of these circumstances, an inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the matter of missing tigers in Ranthambore,” the order said.
Speaking to TOI, Upadhyay said, “The committee will submit its report within two months. There are some shortcomings in monitoring that we want to address. Recently, I started collecting weekly monitoring reports, which showed that these tigers are not affected by the camera traps have been registered. Taking this situation seriously, the committee was formed.”
“The state forest department had shortlisted 24 villages in the buffer zone and periphery of RTR for relocation of villagers. The last such relocation took place in 2016, when families were relocated from two villages. However, the process was slow. -animal conflicts, new programs need to be designed with the active involvement of local communities,” said a retired official.
However, park managers claim the situation is more complex than it seems as RTR faces several challenges, including tiger overpopulation.
The reserve, already overcrowded, has seen an increase in human-wildlife conflict. Tigers, which are territorial and migratory by nature, have begun spreading out in search of larger, undisturbed areas where they can hunt, rest and breed. In the overcrowded park, many tigers died in territorial disputes over access to prey and mates.
According to sources, the Ranthambore tigers are currently confined to an area of ​​900 sq km. The situation is expected to worsen as both male and female tigers, especially older ones, struggle to establish their own territories.
“A study by the Wildlife Institute of India, conducted between 2006 and 2014, found that the carrying capacity of Ranthambore National Park and Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary is not more than 40 adult tigers. Currently, there are 75 tigers, including sub-adults and cubs. With more than 10 tigers per 100 square kilometers, territorial conflicts are forcing weaker animals to leave,” the official said.