Jaipur, May 19 (PTI) Two tigresses have gone missing from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, triggering concern within the forest department, officials said on Tuesday.
According to authorities, tigress ‘Mahi’ (RBT-2504) and another tigress identified as RBT-2510 have not been sighted for the past several days, prompting an intensive search operation.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Manas Singh said both tigresses have not appeared in camera trap footage for nearly 17 days.
“Seven teams have been deployed to trace them, and more than 100 camera traps have been installed across the forest area,” he said.
Officials suspect territorial conflict as one of the possible reasons behind the disappearance. Mahi, a young tigress, had reportedly been trying to establish her own territory and had multiple clashes with her mother, tigress Riddhi (T-124).
The last such conflict was reported on May 3, after which Mahi has not been seen. She was last spotted on May 2 in areas including Jogi Mahal, Rajbagh and Malik Talab.
Meanwhile, tigress RBT-2510, the offspring of tigress Sultan (T-107), has also been missing for several days. She was known to move across areas such as Amreshwar, Mirza Valley and Phalodi, and was often seen with tiger T-2407. Her last movement was reported near the Jhoomar Bawdi area.
Forest teams are conducting continuous foot patrols to track pugmarks and other signs of movement. Officials expressed hope that both tigresses would be located soon. PTI AG APL APL
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