Ranthambore National Park : Many Tigers Disappeared
As many as 25 tigers, out of a population of around 75 in the tiger reserve in Ranthambore National Park (RNP) in Rajasthan, have “disappeared” within the last year.
- Ranthambore Tiger Reserve currently holds around 75 tigers in a space suitable for about 40, leading to intense competition.
- Due to overcrowding, many tigers engage in territorial disputes, sometimes resulting in fatal conflicts.
- The proximity of villages in the buffer zone exacerbates human-tiger conflicts, creating challenges for coexistence.
- Monitoring gaps, as revealed by missing tigers in camera traps, have underscored the need for consistent surveillance.
- Slow relocation efforts of villages around RNP have hampered mitigation of human-animal conflicts.
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR):
- At the junction of the Aravallis and Vindhyas in eastern Rajasthan, near Sawai Madhopur.
- Area: Spans 1,411 sq. km, one of northern India’s largest tiger reserves.
- History: Former royal hunting grounds for Jaipur’s Maharajas.
- Geography: Features steep rocky hills, lakes (Padam Talab, Raj Bagh Talab), and rivers Chambal and Banas, with the Great Boundary Fault.
- Flora: Tropical dry deciduous and thorn forests; dominated by Dhok trees and grasslands.
- Fauna: Hosts tigers, leopards, sloth bears, hyenas, and over 250 bird species.
