Ongoing tiger census at Ranthambore shows two cubs missing

JAIPUR: The ongoing Phase IV tiger monitoring at Ranthambore National Park has revealed that at least two cubs are missing. The phase is part of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocol for all tiger reserves in the country for a national count of big cats. During the process, small grids are created in the reserve and trap cameras are set up for a picture of the big cats. The entire park is covered in about three months.

While one of the four cubs of tigress T-19, daughter of the famous Machchli, has recently been missing from the Rajbagh area of the forest, a cub of the Durrah tigress has also not been spotted for the past four to five months.

"T-19 has been a resident of the lake area in the forest. The lake area comprises Padam Talao, the Rajbagh talao and the Malik Talao. She has been shifting its cubs even from a very small age. In fact, it was during one such shifts from Jhalra to Padam Talao that she was first spotted with her cubs in March this year," said an official.

"Last when she was seen with her four cubs was at Rajbagh. Thereafter she was seen alone two or three times but later three of her cubs were also seen. However, no one knows what happened to the fourth," he added.

Trap cameras set up in the area managed to click pictures of just the three cubs. T-19 had littered sometime around January-February this year but were spotted only in March with one of the cubs in her mouth and three others trailing her. Officials are unsure on the fate of the missing fourth cub.

Also missing is a seven-eight month old cub of the Durrah tigress. "In fact this cub has been missing for quite some time. It is about four to five months since the cub of this tigress was last seen," said an official.

Ranthambore has been on upswing since the past couple of years with a 'baby boom'. In fact, it is estimated that there are about 58 big and small tigers at the reserve. But while that was the good news, some big cats have also been missing or are dead. The Ranthambore tiger reserve's real picture will emerge after the results of the tiger monitoring are out after a couple of months.