Overview

• A male Royal Bengal Tiger, believed to be about five years old, has been spotted in the fringe areas of Ratanmahal Sanctuary in Gujarat’s Dahod district for the past three months.
• If the tiger establishes its territory, it would be the first to do so in Gujarat since the 1980s, when the state’s tiger population was declared extinct.
• Officials believe the tiger likely wandered in from Madhya Pradesh, where growing tiger populations have led to increased dispersal into new areas.
• The Gujarat Forest Department is focusing on habitat restoration, including boosting prey populations and improving wildlife corridors, to support future tiger habitation.
• Villagers in the area are being educated on coexistence with tigers to mitigate potential human-wildlife conflict, a challenge highlighted by past incidents in the state.