A tiger from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve that had strayed out of the forest area and was spotted near a five-star hotel has returned to the reserve, forest officials said on Monday.
The incident once again spotlights concerns over space and territorial pressures among the growing tiger population in the national park.
The tiger was first seen on a camera installed near a farmhouse at around 4.30 am on Sunday. It later moved towards the hotel through the Amreshwar area, prompting local residents to alert the forest department.
Teams of the department rushed to the spot and monitored the animal's movement while examining pugmarks in the area.
"The big cat has returned to the forest area," Manas Singh, Deputy Conservator of Forest and Deputy Field Director, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve-I, said.
He said the teams kept a close watch to ensure the animal moved safely back into the reserve.
"The area where the tiger movement was seen was not populated, so there was no situation of panic," the official said.
Such incidents have become more frequent in the recent years as young tigers venture outside the protected forest in search of new territories.
Located in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is among the country's most prominent habitats for tigers and is considered a major success story of India's conservation efforts under Project Tiger.
However, the increasing tiger population in the reserve is now emerging as a challenge for forest authorities. According to officials, the tiger reserve, spread across about 1,800 square kilometres (Sawaimadhopur, Dholpur and Karauli districts) including its buffer areas, currently has around 70 tigers.
Wildlife experts say the available habitat can ideally sustain around 40 to 50 tigers, raising concerns about overcrowding and territorial conflict among the animals.
They said that while searching for territory, tigers often move out through wildlife corridors and reach other tiger reserves.
"Tigers are territorial animals. Once they are about three years old, they start searching for their own territory," an expert said.
In several instances, tigers have dispersed through wildlife corridors connecting Ranthambore with other forest areas, such as the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve. Some animals move through the Banas river region towards the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi, while others occasionally move further into forest areas of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
Another expert, Dharmendra Khandal, said the Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary should also be made suitable for tigers.
"Forest authorities should take steps to manage and develop Kailadevi sanctuary in a way that makes the habitat suitable for tigers," he said.
A male tiger typically requires about 40 to 50 square kilometres of territory, while a tigress occupies around 20 square kilometres. Adult tigers rarely share their territory with another adult of the same sex, and encounters often lead to conflict.
With increasing numbers and limited space, young tigers -- particularly sub-adults -- frequently move towards the periphery of the reserve and sometimes venture outside the forest landscape in search of new areas.
"With proper planning, the pressure on Ranthambore can be reduced by relocating some sub-adult tigers to other suitable habitats in the state where tiger presence is currently low," another expert said.
They also suggest strengthening wildlife corridors, expanding habitat connectivity and relocating villages from critical forest zones to create more space for the animals.
The increasing tiger movement has also raised safety concerns in areas frequented by tourists and pilgrims within the reserve.
The route to the Trinetra Ganesh temple and the historic Ranthambore Fort often witnesses tiger activity. The authorities have to periodically close the road to ensure the safety of visitors.
In April last year, a tigress attacked and killed a seven-year-old boy near the temple route where he had come with his family to deliver a wedding invite. In another incident in May, a forest ranger was killed in a tiger attack near the Jogi Mahal area inside the park.