Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve (TATR) situated in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district has been in news recently for many reasons. Earlier, a female tigress named Hirdinala got injured due to a territorial fight in the buffer area of TATR, and, then, the carcass of a mother tigress named T-75 was found in the Sheoni buffer range of TATR on 30 November. And now, four tiger cubs have been found dead in the same area, just after three days of the discovery of the carcass of T-75 tigress. The four tiger cubs, two male and two female aged 3 to 4 months, were found dead in Sheoni Buffer Range of TATR. The location is just 3 km away from the spot where T-75 tigress’ was found dead.
All four bodies of the cubs had bite injuries, thus indicating that they were killed by a male tiger. Now, intensive monitoring and patrolling to track the movement of other tigers will continue in that area with the help of camera traps and deployment of more field personnel.
Indian Masterminds interacted with the Deputy Director (Buffer Zone) of TATR, IFS officer Kushagra Pathak, to get more details about this incident.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOUR CUBS
Conservator of Forests & Field Director of TATR, 2006-batch IFS officer Dr. Jitendra Ramgaonkar said that the injuries found on the cubs indicate that they were killed by a tiger. A forest team has noted the presence of two tigers and a tigress in the area, because of which the identity of the mother of the cubs is not confirmed. Forest officials had been continuously monitoring the movements of the cubs in Sheoni buffer area, after the presence of a tiger was reported in the vicinity.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Deputy Director Kushagra Pathak said, “This killing took place because of territorial fights. It is a natural process. We were continuously monitoring and doing a lot of foot patrolling in the deep forest area where it happened, so it was immediately known. However, it is difficult to say whether the tiger who attacked the cubs came from a neighbouring range or from the same forest. Its identity is yet to be known. Many male tigers live in this area, as it is also the Tadoba-Sindewahi corridor.”
Tiger’s population is continuously increasing and forest ranges are limited. So, in-fighting and territorial fights happen frequently. Also, the behaviour of tigers is such that they only protect their own progeny and kill other’s. “We cannot interfere in this. This is the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. The same must have happened here. When the second male came, the mother or father of these cubs might have fought and fled after losing, and, then, the tiger might have killed the cubs after finding them alone,” Mr. Pathak said.
MAIN REASON
The officer further informed that mating is the biggest reason for killing because as long as there are cubs, the female does not mate. And a tigress normally mates with a tiger of its own area. That’s why when a tiger from another area comes, the tigers have territorial fights among themselves and the one who survives mates with the tigress.
BEHAVIOUR OF TIGERS
Outlining the strange behaviours of tigers, Mr. Pathak said, “This is natural behaviour of a tiger. Generally a male tiger has on an average 3 to 4 female tigresses in his area. And he does mating with everyone. Now if another tiger comes in its area, there will be a territorial fight. If the outsider tiger wins in this fight, then he will kill all the cubs of the resident tiger, because he has to increase his own progeny.”
DNA TESTING
To find out whose cubs were those, the forest department will now get DNA test done. But, according to Mr. Pathak, the chances of the tigress whose body was found being the mother are very less, because that female tigress had died about 20 days ago and her body was found in a decomposed state. “According to the post-mortem report of the cubs, food has been found in their stomach. So if their mother was not alive, how could they get food? That’s why they will be children of some other female. But it will be known accurately only by scientific method and that is why we will get DNA testing done. Right now we just have guesses,” he said.
The carcasses will be sent to the Transit Treatment Centre (TTC) in Chandrapur for post-mortem. Tissue samples of the cubs and the dead tigress will be analysed with DNA identification methods to ascertain the identity of the mother.
POACHING RULED OUT
He also outrightly rejected the possibility of poaching as all body parts are intact. “The photo of the new male tiger has also come in camera tracking. These killings took place only because of territorial fights among themselves.”
ABOUT T-75
The T-75 tigress whose body was found few days ago was very old. She must have been around 15 years. Her post-mortem could not be done properly because body was decomposed. Her death seems natural.
ABOUT TATR
Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve is one of the oldest national parks and tiger reserves in the country, notably Maharashtra’s oldest and largest National Park. It is is one of India’s 47 project tiger reserves. The word ‘Tadoba’ is derived from the name of God ‘Tadoba’ or ‘Taru,’ which is praised by local tribal people of this region and ‘Andhari’ is derived from the name of Andhari river that flows in this area. It spreads over 1,727 sq km and contains some of the best forest tracks endowed with rich biodiversity. Along with over 120 tigers, it is the home to rare Indian wildlife animals, including leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, wild boar, sloth bears and bison. The Tadoba National Park is divided into three separate forest ranges, i.e. Tadoba north range, Kolsa south range, and Morhurli range, which is sandwiched in between the first two.
