Tiger sighting sparks push for new sanctuary in Ratanmahal
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A sub-adult tiger spotted moving between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh has prompted wildlife authorities to explore the possibility of developing Ratanmahal in Dahod as a tiger sanctuary as part of the Union govt's Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project.
The three-year-old male tiger, first sighted near Gujarat border in Feb, has been frequently captured on camera traps in Ratanmahal's core area since late May. This marks the second tiger sighting in the region within six years.
A National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) team led by Hemant Singh, assistant inspector general of forests, recently visited Ratanmahal to evaluate how suitable the area was for tiger conservation.
The TOTR project aims to create protected corridors between existing tiger habitats.
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Authorities hope the male tiger will eventually be joined by a female, potentially establishing a breeding pair in the area.
"The tiger has been moving between Kathiwada and Ratanmahal areas, which are small hilly regions suitable for tigers and adjacent to the Madhya Pradesh border," a senior forest official said. The state govt has been continuously monitoring the animal's movements through camera surveillance.
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"The tiger has been seen around Ratanmahal and this is the second time in six years that it has been here. The news brought the NTCA team to Gujarat to examine the habitat and the prey base in the area," the forest official said.
The NTCA team found the habitat conducive but recommended improvements to the prey base and implementation of awareness programmes for local communities to mitigate man-animal conflict should tigers make Ratanmahal their permanent home, sources said.
Notably, Dahod is home to 101 sloth bears, most of which are found in Ratanmahal.
NTCA authorities are also optimistic about potential tiger movement between Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in MP and Ratanmahal, sources said.
Gujarat was initially kept out of the TOTR project by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. However, the presence of a tiger in Gujarat forced the authorities to review the state's conservation preparedness.
The TOTR project aims to manage tigers living outside protected areas, with the goal of reducing human-wildlife conflict and poaching. This initiative is designed to monitor tiger populations, enhance community engagement and improve habitats in areas where tigers venture outside reserves.
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