NTCA to call technical committee meet on Rathambore’s rising tiger population

Rajasthan’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) recently relocated a tigress moving in the periphery of the Reserve to the newly sanctioned Ramgarh Visdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi district

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Tuesday questioned the relocation of Ranthambore tigress T-102 to the newly sanctioned Ramgarh Visdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan’s Bundi a week ago, officials said.

The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan has seen a growth of 45% in big cat population in the last eight years. (Representative Image)

Calling the relocation legit, the state forest department has further sought NTCA’s guidance on managing the high density dispersal of big cats from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan .

Taking cognizance of the reports claiming that tiger relocation was a violation of the NTCA norms and that permission was not taken from NTCA for relocation, the authority on Monday called the RTR official with a factual report.

RTR field director, Sedu Ram Yadav said the relocation was done after permission from the chief wildlife warden, and NTCA was informed. “The tigress was stray (with no territory) and moving in the fields near the boundary of the Reserve and needed to be rescued; the nearest was Ramgarh Visdhari, 10km away,” he said.

He added that NTCA was briefed with the factual situation needed to relocate the tigress to the enclosure at Ramgarh, and now permission will be sought for its release in the wild.

Yadav said NTCA was also apprised of the state’s concern regarding over a dozen big cats moving in the periphery. “NTCA’s guidance has been sought over the high density dispersal of big cats. To address the issue, NTCA is calling a technical committee meeting to assess the situation, measures and steps required,” he said.

A senior official familiar with the development said the state forest department has suggested relocation of tigers – a male to Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar and a male and a female to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota.

He said RTR has seen a growth of 45% in big cat population in the last eight years. He said it is a welcome news but it simultaneously causes concern over the lack of adequate space for the tigers to mark their territory.

From 59 tigers in 2014, the current population of big cats in the Reserve has reached 86.

RTR’s 86 tigers live in an area of 1,334 square kms, making it the third most congested habitat of felines in India after Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand and Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

He said that of the total tigers over a dozen adults between 3-5 years having no territory are moving in the periphery area, closer to the human habitats, which is a matter of concern.