T71…the new wanderer of RTR

It’s official now, another sub-adult male tiger moves out of Ranthambore in search of land and a lady. This time it is T71, a sub-adult male tiger from the non-tourism area of the Park and son of T30. Part of the once famous Mango family, they were called so due to their frequent sightings near a guard post-AAM ( Mango) chowki. Born sometime around October 2011 in a litter of 3 cubs out of which 2 were female, this 38-month-old cub probably moved out of the park sometime in September 2014 through the Khandaar range of RTR which is the most commonly used corridor for dispersal by tigers. Previously other male tigers like T38, T56 and T47 had taken the same route to move out in search of new areas.

While there were talks of another sub-adult having moved out of Ranthambore National Park towards early September the identity of the individual could not be confirmed. At the same time, there were reports of pug marks of a sub-adult male in Kaila Devi Sanctuary which also is part of RTR. While pug marks were reported at frequent intervals during the entire October, there were no direct sightings of this individual.

Post deployment of camera traps in the area first image of the individual was captured around the end of November and subsequent images captured after a gap of a week confirmed the identity as T71.

While it is a known fact that the gender ratio in RTR is badly skewed towards males the fact that existing dominant males are still strong enough to be challenged by these sub-adults is leaving them no option but to move out of park.  This is the third sub-adult male tiger born between 2010- 2012 which has moved out of the park. Previously T62- a sub-adult male cub of T8 and T56- a sub-adult male cub of T26 had moved out in search of their own land.

It is time that authorities focus on Habitat conservation and ensure adequate protection is provided at Kaila Devi so that not only do these dispersed individuals survive here but are able to contribute to the growth of their clan.

Here’s wishing T71 a safe & secure life at his new home.