5 tigers have fallen prey to turf war, as the reserve is overcrowded with 60 tigers, including cubs
Five tigers fell prey to infighting recently in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. The tiger reserve is full with 60 tigers, including cubs. The need to shift at least 10-12 tigers from here echoed recently in lok Sabha too. In 2013, the number of tigers was 48.
Ahead of Global Tiger Day on July 29, the experts stress that it is not just the number, but also the importance of habitat management should also get attention.
The BJP lok Sabha MP From Kota Om Birla had last week raised the issue in Parliament. He pointed out that some of these tigers should be shifted from Ranthambore to the Mukundara Hills Reserve where a new tiger project is coming up.
The core area of Ranthambore Reserve is 1,113 square km, while the buffer zone earmarked by the state government around the reserve is about 298 square km. According to experts, the area is certainly inadequate to accommodate 60 tigers.
According to them, while an adult male territory may span between 40 sq kms - 80 sq kms or may be more, a tigress may require a territory of 20 square km. Due to overlapping or crossing of boundaries, incidents of territorial infighting is increasing in the reserve. Further, the availability of prey base in the reserve has also become limited in this area, they said.
The sources in the State forest departments informed that plans are afoot to shift at least a dozen tigers to other parks, including Sariska in Alwar district, Mukundara Hills near Kota, and Kailadevi in Karuli district. The details of the operation were however not available.
The sources mentioned that Kaila Devi spread over 674 sq kms is being developed as a good breeding ground of tigers. It is presently a part of the ‘buffer zone’ of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
The Mukundara Hills Reserve spreads across the districts of Kota, Bundi, Chittorgarh and Jhalawar, covering 759 square kilometres, including core area of 417 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 342.82 square kilometres.
According to experts, reports of increasing number of tigers from a number of reserves in camera trapping exercises across the country is encouraging. But simultaneously unless their habitat areas do not get prepared to lodge them, other than the problem of in fighting, there are likely to be more cases of straying of big cats as well. This would lead to more man-animal conflicts or increase threats of poaching of the tiger during its migration outside Protected Areas.