In a troubling development, 25 of Ranthambore National Park's 75 tigers have been reported missing over the past year, a figure that has raised alarms across wildlife circles.
Rajasthan’s Chief Wildlife Warden, Pavan Kumar Upadhyay, disclosed the data on Monday, marking the first occasion such a high number of disappearances has been confirmed within a year.
Between January 2019 and January 2022, 13 tigers were recorded as missing from the park. However, recent figures indicate a steeper decline, prompting the state wildlife department to assemble a three-member investigative team.
The committee has been tasked with examining monitoring logs and identifying lapses in management, with a particular focus on 14 tigers that were last sighted between May and September of this year.
An official memorandum, dated November 4, expressed mounting concerns: “Despite several notices sent to the park’s field director, no significant improvements have been noted. As of October 14, 2024, 11 tigers have been unaccounted for over a year, with limited recent evidence of another 14. Given the circumstances, an inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the missing tigers in Ranthambore.”
Pavan Kumar Upadhyay elaborated on the inquiry process, saying, "The committee will submit its report within two months. We have identified some monitoring gaps that we want to address. Recently, I started collecting weekly monitoring reports, which showed that these tigers were not recorded on trap camera. This matter is being taken very seriously."
Ranthambore’s tiger population, currently estimated at 75, includes cubs and juveniles.
Covering approximately 900 square kilometres, the park has long been seen as struggling to accommodate its tiger population, and, according to a study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India from 2006 to 2014, it can comfortably house only 40 adult tigers.
Overcrowding is a persistent issue, leading to frequent territorial disputes among tigers and, in some cases, fatal encounters.
Park officials say attempts to reduce the population density by relocating villages from the buffer zones have been slow, with the last relocation effort completed in 2016.
The inquiry will assess whether the overcrowding has directly contributed to the disappearance of the tigers.
The investigative committee is expected to issue its report within two months, during which monitoring protocols are likely to undergo close scrutiny, especially regarding surveillance using trap cameras.
Conservationists are hopeful that the inquiry will yield both answers and improvements, potentially averting further losses in one of India’s most renowned tiger reserves.
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