25 Tigers Missing From Ranthambore National Park, Experts Blame Overcrowding

Sawai Madhopur: Twenty-five of the 75 tigers in Ranthambore National Park have gone missing over the past year, Rajasthan's Chief Wildlife Warden Pavan Kumar Upadhyay told park officials on Monday. This marks the first time such a high number of tigers has been officially reported missing within a year. Previously, 13 tigers were reported missing from Ranthambore between January 2019 and January 2022.
Wildlife experts in Ranthambore allege that the Reserve’s boundary walls are broken in many places, allowing easy access to livestock and humans, which endangers the park's wildlife. The wildlife department has formed a three-member committee to investigate the disappearances. Park officials say that there are more tigers and cubs in Ranthambore than the park’s 900 square kilometres can support, often leading to fights over territory. According to a study by the Wildlife Institute of India, conducted between 2006 and 2014, the park can safely house around 40 adult tigers.