With 2 males straying, experts bat for dispersal of young tigers from Sariska

Jaipur: With two male tigers, ST-24 and ST-2303, recently moving out of Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in search of new territories, wildlife experts are urging immediate attention to the safe dispersal of young tigers from the park and security of vital corridors and nearby forest areas.The tiger population in STR has now reached 43, comprising 11 males, 14 females, and 18 cubs. Thirteen of these cubs were born between March and June this year. While the increase in tiger numbers is a positive development, experts stress the need for the forest department to secure wildlife corridors to ensure safe movement of these animals.This is particularly important as young tigers are venturing into areas near major cities like Jaipur and regions of Haryana. If there are no safe corridors, these big cats can move out near human settlements and lead to man-animal conflict. Otherwise, they can safely reside there and come back.Wildlife biologist Sumit Dookia highlighted the significance of a wildlife corridor connecting STR to Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi, which passes through 6-7 districts in Haryana, encompassing the Aravalli Range with its thorny scrub forests.Dookia said, “It's crucial for forest and wildlife managers to extend their focus beyond protected areas and ensure that the habitat of the Aravalli hills is safeguarded from encroachment and illegal activities. The movement of wildlife in these areas will be in complete co-existence if we will be able to secure their habitat. The current movement of tigers in the Aravalli range of Haryana is the best example to understand this.”Experts said that by 18 months, most tigers feel the urge to disperse, and male tigers travel 27 km (average dispersal distance) and females around 6 km. Also, tigers need large territories, ranging from 20 sq km to 400 sq km (as per the studies), free from intense human pressures. Dispersal is also crucial for the genetic health of tiger populations. Tigers may travel long distances in search of suitable habitat and resources.World Wilderness Congress chairman Sunil Mehta said for the past year, tiger T-24 has been living in Jamwa Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, situated 30 kilometres away from Jaipur.“There is apparently a good prey base in the sanctuary, and this is the reason there are no reports of tigers killing cattle. The govt should protect these areas from encroachments and declare them as a buffer of STR as big cats will move out once the population increases. Also, there is an immediate need to shift villages from the STR valley to create inviolate space inside the reserve,” Mehta said.