Bharatpur(Rajasthan): The number of tigers declined in the forests of Rajasthan in the last three years. As many as 14 tigers and nine cubs have gone missing in three years in the Rajasthan forest said Forest Department officials. Although the tigers are looked after by the Forest Department, several big cats went missing from the forests of the state.
According to Forest Department officials, the maximum number of tigers have gone missing in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, these include nine tigers from the Ranthambore core area, two tigers from the Ranthambore buffer zone and two tigers from the Kailadevi area outside Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. At the same time, a tiger is also missing from Mukundara Hills for the last two years.
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Sangram Singh, DFO of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve said, "There are many reasons behind the disappearance of tigers. There are more tigers in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve than in its capacity. In such a situation, the tiger which is not able to establish its territory in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve escapes from this area and goes to the forest outside. In such a situation, we are unable to trace that tiger. There are many areas of the forest where the workers cannot reach, due to which the tiger cannot be tracked. They are also considered missing."
"There are also many tigers who have lived their average age and have died a natural death in the dense forest. Their dead bodies are eaten by insects and other wild animals in a few days. In such a situation neither those tigers can be found nor the evidence of their death is found. No evidence of hunting has been found for any of the missing tigers," he added.
Singh also said, "The common belief is that when a tigress gives birth to four cubs, we think that all four cubs will survive but this usually does not happen. In reality, the maximum survival ratio of tigers born is 50 per cent. That is, out of four cubs, two die naturally. Many times when the tigress dies due to mutual conflict or other reasons, then in that situation the chances of survival of the cubs become zero."
"It is not necessary that the tiger which is missing or which cannot be traced has died. The tiger T-38 had gone missing from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the year 2010, but after 10 years in October 2020, this tiger has returned and is roaming in Ranthambore," he said.
According to the Forest Department, border home guards, home guards and volunteers have been deployed in all the tiger reserves of the state for the protection of tigers. In all Tiger Reserves, 299 Border Home Guards patrol with Forest Department employees. New outposts have been constructed at sensitive places in all the tiger reserves. Monitoring is done with the help of e-surveillance towers and drone cameras.
