With Over 70 Big Cats, Ranthambore Is Booming With Tiger Population But There's Space Crunch

Earlier this week, to the delight of conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts Arrowhead, officially named T-84, a resident tigress of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) was spotted with her two newborn cubs.

Later, to the surprise of many the authorities spotted one more cub with her.

¡°Arrowhead was spotted with two cubs on July 13. It was believed she littered two cubs. A forest department team that was on patrol spotted the tigress with three cubs on Friday,¡± said a forest department officer.

Two #tiger #cubs of #tigress #Arrowhead spotted at #Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. This is the third offspring of the T-34 aka Arrowhead taking the total count of big cats in @ranthambore to 70. @ranthamborepark #wildlife #wildlifeindia pic.twitter.com/kQf1fmagMI

¡ª Sundeep Bhutoria (@sundeepbhutoria) July 15, 2021

Forest department officially declared , tigress Arrowhead gave birth to three cubs , instead of two . #Ranthambore #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/nFtEU6JqmB

¡ª Ajay Singh (@AjayUgrasTOI) July 16, 2021

This is the second time the seven-year-old tigress has given birth.

A tigress called Arrowhead in Ranthambhore. It looks like she has given birth to another litter though not 100% sure as yet. pic.twitter.com/q1gLAlQsY1

¡ª adityadickysingh ?? (@adityadickysin) June 1, 2021

Growing population

With this, the number of cubs born in RTR has gone up to 35 in the past three years and the total number of big cats in the reserve to over 70.

But there is a problem, the RTR which spans over an area of 1,334 square kilometres doesn't have the space to accommodate such a high number of tigers, who are territorial animals.

As the population in RTR grows so are the fights for territory.

Last year a tigress called Arrowhead and her two cubs started going on top of another similar plinth (without the chattri) very close to this chattri. I was sure that the long wait since 2008 would be over soon. But they assiduously avoided the chattri. So close, yet so far pic.twitter.com/dHT94btecN

¡ª adityadickysingh ?? (@adityadickysin) July 15, 2020

Fight for territory

Two of Arrowhead's own daughters, Riddhi and Siddhi who are two-and-a-half-year-old have been involved in a fierce fight for territory. In January this year, Riddhi was grievously injured in a fight with her sibling and received 14 stitches on the tongue.

Following this, there has been a proposal to shift Ridhi to the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) which is home to 23 big cats.

Yes two sisters - Riddhi, mother Arrowhead and sister Siddhi pic.twitter.com/TSWQXLVmme

¡ª adityadickysingh ?? (@adityadickysin) July 13, 2021

RTR which is the third most congested national park in India after Corbett and Kaziranga is fast running out of space for its growing population of tigers - where an individual controls an area of over 20sqkms.

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

New tiger reserve

On Thursday, Rajasthan Chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the meeting of the State Wildlife Board, directed the officials to form a panel of experts to suggest shifting the increasing number of tigers to other sanctuary areas; and ways to develop Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve and the newly formed Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi.

Rajasthan currently has three tiger reserves and has announced the setting up of a fourth one in Ramgarh Vishdhari.

Earlier this month Rajasthan government had also proposed to develop a tiger corridor connecting three tiger reserves passing through districts including Sawai Madhopur, Kota and Bundi, which will ease the problem of congestion.