JAIPUR: Six-year-old tigress T-99 has given birth to a cub at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR). With this, the big cat population in the reserve has gone up to 78.
The image of the tigress with a cub was captured in a trap camera in Halonda area in zone-10 of RTR.
An official said, “This is the first litter of the tigress, which is the daughter of T-60. Monitoring in the area has been increased. “The cub is around three months old. The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve-1 has 20 adult males, 30 adult female tigers and 28 cubs.”
The news has elated wildlife lovers, however, increasing tiger population in the reserve means that space for big cats is decreasing.
The Ranthambore reserve has a core area of 392 sqkm with a buffer zone of 1,342 sq km. Of the total area of a little over 1,700 sqkm in RTR, only 600 sqkm can be used by tigers. As per a rough estimate, a male tiger requires approximately 25 sqkm and a female about 15 sqkm.
The tiger population has been steadily increasing in the state. In November, T-63 was spotted with triplets in Chinawali top in the Khandar range.
As tigers in the reserve are squeezed for territory due to high density, the chief conservator of forest (CCF) had put forward a proposal to relocate six of them.
Three tigers and three tigresses were zeroed in for shifting and the proposal was sent to the chief wildlife warden (CWLW). The list consisted of male tigers T-113, T-121 and T-123 and female tigers T-119, T-124 and T-126.
Sources said that senior forest officials were divided on the matter to shift tigers after receiving the proposal.
“There was a view that the tigers should not be shifted from Ranthambore fearing territorial fights. Territorial fights will always occur in nature and the forest department should not intervene in the process,” said a source.
