Conclusions

Thanks Dharmendra for this balanced assessment based on field observations of Tiger Watch. As you can see the population dynamics in Ranthambhore are healthy and working exactly as it should be. Young male tigers are kicked out at 3 years of age and have to roam to find their place in the world. Whilst there are very dominant male tigers with established territories some of these are old and the crop of mature male tigers ready to take their place is healthy. Certainly for me, the number of mature females yet to have cubs is a healthy sign of the population going in the right direction, after all we don't want to revert to the situation 20 years ago when we were seriously concerned about the population in Ranthambhore. 

So how does this info apply to the recent unprecedented number of man-tiger conflicts in Ranthambhore? Well I'm not an expert just someone with experience, to me it seems like just a matter of timing. Suddenly we have had a number of maturing male cubs searching for territories in areas of the park where there are existing and powerful males. So they have no choice but to move out to the bordering areas of the national park, as this is a healthy migration. Now nothing can explain the number of deaths, and since every human life is precious, I am not saying that this is the norm and should be ignored. It's a fact that only one of the kills was partially eaten, all the others appear to be killed then left. Little consolation to the relatives I know but it's a fact. So where the tigers disturbed in some way, perhaps in thick crops mistaking the villagers for prey. Probably unlikely as a tiger has a great sense of smell and hearing. I guess we will never know but the fact is this story will not go away as it involves human life.

So as I said my take on this is that these recent incidents are just bad timing, with an unprecedented number of young males being forced to find new areas at the same time. In my limited experience of Ranthambhore, only 10 years, I've never known such an excess of mature male cubs. The villagers are not encroaching into the park either, they are Gurjars who have wandered this land for centuries and lived alongside it's predators. So I guess time will tell whether these males move on into areas where they will not come into conflict with humans, or like the sad saga of Pretty Boy, we intervene and perhaps change them forever. For now, as tough as it is, we need to sit and wait before taking action, and when we do it needs to be with advice and guidance from local NGO's like Tiger Watch, who work with the local people. And on that note just a few words about them...

About Tiger Watch

Tiger Watch is a non-governmental organization working since1998 with the core objective of protection of wildlife in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan and adjoining areas.The organization was initiated due to the need of aid in difficult times in Ranthambhore during the 1990s. Mr. FatehSingh Rathore’s immense concern about Ranthambhore’s wildlife and natural heritage, led him to start Tiger Watcheven after his retirement as Field Director of the tiger reserve. His years of experience and support of other imperative conservationists led to the formation of this NGO. Tiger Watch has always been up front, be it anti-poaching, wildlife monitoring, biodiversity exploration, research, community support, helping the forest department, or traditional hunting community “Mogya“ rehabilitation programs, providing aid in cattle compensation to mitigate man-animal conflicts and setting an example as an efficient conservation unit.