New Delhi: A three-member expert committee has been formed by Rajasthan’s Chief Wildlife Warden after an internal report said that 25 tigers had gone missing from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. The panel has been tasked with reviewing all the monitoring reports, analyse them and submit its own report, while suggesting action against officials if any negligence is found on the part of the park administration.
On Monday, Rajasthan’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Pavan Kumar Upadhyay told Ranthambore National Park (RNP) authorities that as many as 25 tigers, out of a total population of 75 in the tiger reserve in RNP, have vanished within the last year.
What did the order say
An order dated November 4 by Upadhyay points out that for a long time, information about the disappearance of tigers in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has been coming in the Tiger Monitoring Report. He added that in this connection, a number of letters have also been written to the Field Director, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, however, no satisfactory change has been seen in the situation.
Never before have so many tigers been officially reported missing. In 2022, a total of 13 tigers reportedly went missing from RNP. But, this happened over a span of three years, between January 2019 and January 2022.
What will the committee do
The committee will take a close look into what steps were taken by the forest officials — Field Director and the Deputy Field Director concerned — to trace the tigers after they disappeared. It will study and analyse all the records of tiger monitoring and then submit its own report within 2 months. If any official is found guilty of negligence, then appropriate disciplinary action would be recommended against him. It will also suggest ways to fix the shortcomings in the system.
The main objective of the forest department would be locate the 14 tigers which disappeared between May 17, 2024 and September 30, 2024. The probe will try to identify any lacunae in the present system and recommend improvements. To improve the situation, experts have recommended to revive the previous community engagement programmes that were initiated to educate and sensitise the public about peaceful coexistence with wildlife. The reserve, which is already overcrowded, has witnessed a spike in human-wildlife conflicts of late.
