Ranthambore faces space issues; big cats go missing due to overpopulation & fierce fights

Back in 2010, Tigers' numbers had dropped precipitously to as low as 3,200 in India, sending shock waves across the country. Now, with approximately 3,900 tigers, India leads the tiger conservation efforts including the Global Tiger Protection programme. Due to the countless schemes for tiger protection, India was able to bridge the gap to such an extent that now, a widely popular wildlife sanctuary, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is facing overpopulation related challenges. In a bid to overcome the same, Rajasthan announced to set up the fourth Tiger Reserve, in Ramgarh Vishdhari.

The mystery of missing tigers

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Reportedly, the number of tigers and their cubs born in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and the adjoining areas of Ranthambore has gone up from 66 in 2019 to 81 in 2021. For starters, this surge in big cats populations resulted in a space crunch, which inevitably gave rise to missing tigers and deadly territorial fights. The record submitted in the state Assembly on missing tigers revealed that a total of 13 tigers have disappeared from the Ranthambore National Park between 2019 and 2021.

Due to the space crunch, and the spurt of the big cat population, the tigers often leave the forest premises and end up preying on the human population living in the Buffer and Transition zones. This brings us to our second problem, as per the National Tiger conservation guidelines, a minimum inviolate area of 800-1200 square km is required for a viable population of tigers (20 breeding tigresses) and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve on the other hand spans over an area of 1,334 square km with a total tiger population of 81.

Space crunch giving birth to fierce territorial fights between tigers

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Harshwardhan, an environmentalist says, "The tiger faces a challenge; its forest territories are shrinking. The additional population of tigers inside reserves, therefore, is getting rehabilitated outside the reserves. Due to the unavailability of tiger corridors, many wild tigers and tigresses are poached by rural folk, or get knocked down in road accidents and mishaps."

After Corbett and Karzinga, the Ranthambore tiger reserve is the third most congested national park in India. Corbett and Karzinga are quickly running out of space for their growing population of tigers. The fights for territory are mostly lethal, and the outcomes often result in grievous injuries and even deaths.