Lonely tigers in Kawal Reserve: Roads, projects keep mates 120 km apart

According to forest department sources, a female tiger has been roaming the forests of Kerameri mandal in the Asifabad division for over two months in search of a male companion. Meanwhile, a male tiger known as K8 has been seeking a tigress in the forests of Penchikalpet mandal in Kagaznagar division for an extended period. The two tigers are currently separated by a distance of approximately 120 kilometers.

Adilabad: It is mating season for tigers. But are tigers able to find mates in the forests of erstwhile Adilabad district, which has one of the country’s largest reserves, the Kawal Tiger Reserve? Latest instances indicate the answer is a firm ‘no’.

Forest department sources said a female tiger was searching for a male companion in the forests of Kerameri mandal in Asifabad division for over two months. On the other hand, a male tiger titled K8 was searching for a tigress in the forests of Penchikalpet mandal in Kagaznagar division for quite a long time. They were about 120 kilometres away from each other.

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This female and male tiger may not meet each other too, as several road and irrigation projects in between their locations are obstacles. A male tiger, popular as Johnny from Maharashtra recently undertook a marathon journey of over 350 km in a quest to meet a female tiger. He, however, had to return home without realizing his dream.

“Many tigers are facing a similar situation in the forests of the composite Adilabad district. The population of the tigers will flourish in the forests of the region if male tigers can meet female ones and vice-versa. But they are struggling to reach each other due to national highway, railway and irrigation projects,” a wildlife conservationist said.

The 41st reserve of the country, Kawal was created with an area of 2,015.44 square km in 2012. The core of the reserve spans 893 sq km, while the buffer zone spans 1,120 sq km. It can accommodate between 20 and 30 tigers thanks to efforts of Forest officials who created sufficient prey base and made the forests safe by reducing dependency of villagers and preventing encroachments.

“The core will be able to see the growth of the population of tigers only if a female tiger settles here. Else, male tigers would migrate to the core and go back to their territories if they can not find a female companion in the core. Unlike male tigers, tigresses do not travel long distances. They are not entering the core due to obstacles in between such as road and irrigation projects,” the conservationist pointed out.

According to Forest officials, around five tigresses gave birth to between 10 and 18 cubs in the forests of Kagaznagar division despite disturbances by way of encroachments from 2015 to 2021. A tigress titled Phalguna, which drifted into the forest of this region in 2015, had delivered eight cubs in two litters over a period of time. However, no tiger has been successful in nurturing a family here in recent times.