10 Out Of 25 Missing Tigers Found In Ranthambore National Park; Here Are The Latest Developments

Amid growing concerns over the fate of 25 “missing” tigers in Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, a top forest official has said that at least 10 of them have been successfully discovered to be within the park’s boundaries.

The news comes on the heels of the principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) Pavan Upadhyay’s claim that 25 of the 75 tigers in the wildlife reserve, which is located about 130 kilometres from the state capital Jaipur, had gone missing over the last year. This was reportedly the first time such a high number of tigers had been officially reported to be missing in a year. Earlier, 13 tigers were reported missing from Ranthambore National Park between 2019 and 2022.

The 10 tigers were located thanks to camera traps installed by the Forest Department after the monsoon season. According to Upadhyay, evidence on four more tigers is expected, as they have been missing for less than six months. Meanwhile, the remaining 15 tigers are still unaccounted for.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) has waded into the matter by asking the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to gather intelligence on the missing 25 tigers. A three-member committee will investigate the disappearances, review monitoring records and recommend actions if any lapses by park officials are found. The committee has been asked to submit its report within two months.

A list of the 25 missing tigers acquired by media agencies has highlighted that four of them were over 17 years old. Most tigers in the wild don't usually live beyond 14-15 years of age, and it's assumed that some of these large cats may have died.

Park officials have mentioned that Ranthambore National Park is facing pressure because of an increasing number of tigers—about 88 of them live in an area of around 1,400 square kilometres, which can't fully support them. Conservationists have suggested creating forest corridors to help the tigers move safely to nearby habitats.

There have also been instances of villagers poisoning tigers in the past. Recently, a tiger was stoned and axed to death, allegedly by villagers who were angry over a goatherd being killed in a tiger attack. Such incidents show the complex challenges of tiger conservation in Ranthambore National Park and highlight the need for balanced solutions that protect both the tigers and local communities.

(With inputs from multiple news sources)