Ranthambore Tiger Crisis Deepens

Uneven Tiger Distribution, Gender Imbalance and Delayed Village Relocation Fueling Human-Wildlife Conflict

- Nirmal Tiwari

A serious crisis is emerging in India's prestigious Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.

While the growing number of tigers is considered an achievement by the forest department, numerous grave issues are arising in its wake— uneven tiger distribution, gender imbalance, overpopulation in some ranges, failure to relocate villages within the forest, and frequent tiger attacks. Recent incidents and data indicate that this conflict is no longer just between wildlife and humans but also between administrative preparedness and reality.

GENDER IMBALANCE AND TERRITORIAL CONFLICTS

The gender imbalance of tigers in Ranthambore is also a concern. According to wildlife expert Abhishek Choudhary, "In the local population, there are more male tigers compared to females, which increases the likelihood of internal conflicts and puts unnecessary pressure on the female tigers."

Migrant tigers such as T-108, T-112, T-121, T-123, and T-127 are known to roam across multiple ranges. For instance, T-108 and T-127 are active in both ROPT and Falodi, while T-121 roams between ROPT and Kundera. This movement increases territorial disputes among the tigers.