The number of tigers in Ranthambore has increased, due to which tigers are coming out of the park in search of new areas and attacking humans. Tigers are fighting and dying among themselves due to lack of area.
The number of tigers in Ranthambore National Park has increased to such an extent that reserves can no longer care for the big cats, which are currently inhabited in the region.
Arindam Tomar, the chief wildlife warden of Rajasthan, has placed a proposal before the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). He has sent a proposal to relocate the big cats from Ranthambore National Park to Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) and Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary in Bundi.
Arindam Tomar said, "NTCA has agreed to consider this proposal. We will soon prepare a proposal in which we will ask permission to shift how many tigers from Ranthambore to other reserves. This proposal to shift tigers from Ranthambore will be sent to the NTCA and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for final approval.
The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is spread over an area of about 1734 sq km, with a core area of 392 sq km and the rest being Buffer and Critical Tiger Habitat. It has an area of only 650 sq km worth of tiger habitat where tigers can survive. According to an NGO called Tiger Watch which works for the conservation of tigers, the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has 62 tigers, including 50 adults and 12 cubs, while according to government figures the number is 71.
According to a rough estimate, a male tiger needs an area of about 25 square kilometers for the territory while a female tiger needs about 15 square kilometers. It shows how much the big cats have to struggle to make a territory for themselves in the forest. But Mukesh Saini, a divisional forest officer (DFO) of Ranthambore National Park, said, "Currently, there are a total of 61 Tiger in the Ranthambhore National Park, including 27 males, 24 females and 10 cubs." He said "a study would be conducted to identify young tigers in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, making it difficult to locate new areas. Based on the study, a proposal will be prepared to transfer them from Ranthambore to another location. "
Lack of tiger habitat in Ranthambore National Park is becoming a serious problem due to which young tigers are either attacking humans in the periphery of the park or dying in regional fights. The human-tiger conflict has also reached alarming proportions in Ranthambore National Park.
Within a month, three people have been killed and one injured in a tiger attack in Sawai Madhopur and Karauli districts of Rajasthan. All attacks in these areas were carried out by young tigers. This year, two tigers have died in battle of territories in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.