CHANCHAL GOLA | Ramnagar
The population of tigers believed to be rising in Corbett Tiger Reserve is a cause for both joy and concern in the Corbett landscape. With the tiger population increasing, many of the big cats move to new areas in search of territory while their presence also affects the movements of leopards. This has increased human-wildlife conflict in the area with about a dozen cases of tigers attacking humans being reported since 2023. Most of these attacks took place when humans entered the forest area.
According to the 2022 tiger census report, there were 260 tigers in Corbett. The next official tiger census is slated to be conducted in 2026. Some observers opine that considering various factors, the tiger population is expected to be higher in the next census.
According to official sources, four persons were killed by tigers in the Corbett tiger landscape during November-December 2023. These fatalities include Pooja Devi in the Terai West forest division, Nepali workers Shiva Gurum and Ram Bahadur in the Dhikala zone, and Anita Devi in the Dhela range. Five persons were killed during different months in 2024. These included Goptal Ram in the Ramnagar forest division, Durga Devi in Dhela range, Pappu Tiwari from the Lalpura Bansitila area, Kaushalya Rawat in Dhikuli and Tulsi Devi near Ringoda village. Two persons were killed by tigers so far this year in January including Prem Singh of Savalde and Bhuwan Singh Belwal of Kyari.
Corbett director Saket Badola said, “In recent years, almost all incidents of human-wildlife conflict have occurred due to villagers entering the forest. Considering this, several meetings have been held with local residents to advise them against going into the forest to collect firewood or fodder. Additionally, the government is also introducing new schemes to provide grass and firewood to the villagers to reduce their dependence on forest resources.”
CTR warden Amit Gwasakoti said that though many tiger cubs under the age of one year have been sighted with tigresses in the Corbett landscape this year, such cubs are not counted in the census. However, the number of cub sightings is a positive sign, he added.
Terai West divisional forest officer PC Arya said that tigresses have been sighted with a number of cubs in the Phato range, indicating a rise in tiger numbers. However, with this increase comes the challenge of preventing human-wildlife conflict. Several measures are being implemented to prevent the conflict, he added.
Wildlife veterinarian Dr Dushyant Sharma said, “Tigers that become excessively aggressive during human-wildlife encounters are tranquilised and brought to the Dhela rescue centre under the orders of senior officials. After a period of monitoring, they are released back into dense forest areas if deemed safe,” he added.
