Rajasthan: 10 tigers captured on camera traps following reports of 25 missing

Amid controversy over 25 tigers in Rajasthan’s Ranthambore National Park were “missing,” officials confirmed on Thursday that 10 of the tigers have been located on camera traps, report by NDTV stated. “Ten tigers have already been traced within 24 hours of this report,” a park official said as quoted by NDTV.
 
This came after Rajasthan’s Chief Wildlife Warden, Pavan Kumar Upadhyay on November 6 reported that 25 of the 75 tigers in the national park went missing over the past year. On this, Kumar also directed officials to probe on the matter.
In an order on Monday, Kumar told officials that 11 of the missing tigers have been gone for over a year. This is the first time such a large number of tigers has been officially reported missing in a single year. Previously, 13 tigers were reported missing from Ranthambore between January 2019 and January 2022.
 
As per the order, the wildlife department has formed a three-member committee to investigate the disappearances. The team will review monitoring records and recommend action if any lapses by park officials are found.
As per the order, “Despite several notices sent to the park’s field director, no significant improvements have been noted. As of a report dated October 14, 2024, 11 tigers have been unaccounted for over a year, with limited recent evidence of another 14. Given the circumstances, an inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the missing tigers in Ranthambore.”
Chief Wildlife Warden Pavan Kumar Upadhyay said, “The committee will submit its report within two months. We have identified some monitoring gaps that we want to address. Recently, I started collecting weekly monitoring reports, which showed that these tigers were not recorded on trap camera. This matter is being taken very seriously,” as quoted by PTI.
Citing park officials, PTI reported that Ranthambore is facing challenges due to overcrowding, with tigers fighting over territory. The park, which covers 900 square kilometers, currently has 75 tigers, including young ones and cubs. A study by the Wildlife Institute of India (2006-2014) found that the park can safely support about 40 adult tigers.
(With inputs from PTI)