3-year-old tigress found injured in Ranthambore

In what appears to be one more instance of tigers fighting for territory, a three-year-old tigress was found severely injured in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park, a forest official said Tuesday. 'Preliminary investigations reveal that the tigress must have been injured in a fight with another wild cat over territory,' a forest official said. 'Proper medication is being provided to her,' the official added. With the increase in tiger population, Ranthambore National Park, over 175 km from here, is now grappling with a problem of clashes between tigers that are fighting to take control of their territory. According to a census conducted by the state forest department in 2009, there were 40 tigers in and around Ranthambore National Park and Sawai Madhopur wildlife sanctuary. The census conducted in the core division from April 30 to May 10 revealed there were 14 males, 16 females and 10 cubs. Ranthambore National Park situated in Sawai Madhopur district covers an area of around 400 sq km. Tigers are territorial and fiercely defensive. A tigress may have a territory of 20 sq km while the territories of males are much larger, covering 40-80 sq km and even more. However, territory varies from forest to forest depending on the ecology of that area. A similar clash was witnessed in 2008 when an eight-year-old tigress was found dead in the national park. The dead body of the tigress was found in a mutilated state by the forest officials who felt that the wild cat could have died two or three days earlier. The investigations suggested that the tigress died in a fight with another wild cat over territory.

Wildlife officials to review strategies to protect tigers

Concerned over 14 big cats dying in the last three months, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to convene a three-day meeting of wildlife officials of tiger-range states to review protection strategy in national parks.

The meeting, to be chaired by NTCA Member Secretary Rajesh Gopal, has come days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over the recent unnatural tiger deaths in sanctuaries particularly Corbett and Kanha tiger reserves in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, respectively.

"The meeting, which commences from April 10, has been proposed at Ramnagar in Uttarakhand to discuss the strategies for plugging the loopholes to ensure safety of tigers. Chief Wildlife Wardens and Field Directors will attend the meet," Deputy Inspector General (NTCA) S P Yadav said.

The government has already warned that as many as 18 reserves in the country threatens to go the Panna and Sariska way where all native striped cats were wiped out by the poachers.

"During the meeting, issues such as need for expediting buffer and core zones, streamlining tourism and strengthening weaker areas would be deliberated in detail," Yadav said.

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