Big cat spotted in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve highlights need for corridor conservation
The tigers sighted in the STR are largely male tigers that have migrated from other areas and not the ones that have been born in this tiger reserve. For this, it is necessary to introduce a female tiger in the STR, says expert
The recent sighting of a new tiger in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) in the western ghats of Maharashtra in the last week of October – only the second such sighting after the first tiger was spotted on December 17, 2023 and named STR-T1 – has once again brought to the fore the need for introduction of female tigers as well as conservation of the tiger corridor in the western ghats. An official from the STR spotted the tiger and confirmed that the two tigers are different.
On October 28, 2024, a camera trap set up in the Chandoli National Park captured images of a tiger. Field workers too noticed fresh tiger tracks in the area while patrolling. Upon analysing the images in the tiger reserve’s ‘Tiger Cell’, the research team confirmed that this tiger was different from STR-T1.
After consulting Girish Punjabi, a researcher studying tigers in the Sahyadri landscape, the STR team confirmed that this new tiger had first been spotted in the Radha Nagari Sanctuary on April 13, 2024 after which it had travelled north covering nearly 100 km only to be spotted in the STR. The new tiger has been named STR-T2 under the guidance of STR director Ramanujam, Chandoli National Park deputy director Snehalata Patil, and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary deputy director Kiran Jagtap.
Created in 2008, the STR is located in the Sahyadri mountain range of the western ghats of Maharashtra. This range forms a common boundary between Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa. The STR is spread over four districts of the state including Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli and Ratnagiri. Although the tiger reserve is connected with a crucial corridor in the western ghats, the tiger population in the STR has always been a cause for concern and efforts have been made for several years by forest officials and wildlife conservators to develop a suitable tiger habitat in the STR. The recent tiger sighting is a sign that the efforts have borne fruit.
Punjabi said, “The recent tiger sighting has given fresh hope for the tiger conservation programme in the STR. This sighting indicates that STR provides a suitable habitat for the tiger population. However the tigers sighted in the STR are largely male tigers that have migrated from other areas and not the ones that have been born in this tiger reserve. For this, it is necessary to introduce a female tiger in the STR. The department has undertaken the tiger relations programme under which two tigers are expected to relocate to the STR and new tigers are expected to be introduced in the STR. Further developments will depend on how the new tigers adapt to the habitat in the western ghats of the state.”
The tiger sighting has also highlighted the need to conserve the corridor being used by tigers to enter the STR. Tigers are largely travelling from the southern to the northern parts of the western ghats. Infrastructure development, alteration in land use, and increased human intervention are some of the factors impacting the tiger corridor in Maharashtra. Hence, there is a need to focus on conservation of the tiger corridor, Punjabi said.
In recent years, the number of tigers has increased in the Tilari-Radha Nagari region in the south with a total 14 tigers recorded in this area. STR-T1 and STR-T2 have migrated from Tilari to the STR, indicating that STR is capable of sustaining the tiger population. This also underscores the significance of maintaining connectivity between the Tilari, Radha Nagari and Sahyadri regions. “Ensuring the protection and integrity of these habitats is the responsibility of the forest department, locals and conservation teams,” said Ramanujam.