Why India’s rising tiger population poses a threat to local communities

Why India’s rising tiger population poses a threat to local communities

Amidst a fast-changing world, the relationship between humans, animals and nature is evolving

On the morning of 18th July this year, Rushi Kishan Devtale (60), a resident of Bamangaon in Maharashtra went about his daily chores, taking the livestock out to graze. Later that day, he was mauled by a tiger that apparently attacked him out of instinct, during a hunt. This unfortunate encounter adds to the increasing number of human deaths due to tiger attacks in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra in the recent past. 

An adult tiger claims approximately 20-40 square kilometres of area as territory. With 97 tigers (according to the 2022 census) pervading for territory over 622.87 square kilometres, the spillover effect is causing increased interfacing between animals and humans living in proximity to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). Similar incidents are being reported from Lakhimpur and Pilibhit districts in Uttar Pradesh where tigers often take refuge in sugarcane fields, outside the forest. A total of nine deaths have been reported from adjoining areas of the Pilibhit and Dudhwa Tiger Reserves since 31st March this year, according to officials. With increasing density of the population of tigers in optimally utilised protected forests, erratic movements and sudden encounters are on the rise. The silver lining? None of the tigers are interested in eating their human prey. 

Of the 3167 tigers in the wild, 444 reside in Maharashtra, where, interestingly, the price of conservation is higher than in other states. Image: Joydeep Mondal

Pockets of people have become more vulnerable to wild animal encounters in the last few years. Image: Joydeep Mondal

READ MORE
empty
ENTERTAINMENT
Producer Guneet Monga is back in contention for an Oscar with ‘The Elephant Whisperers’
By Deepali Singh
empty
CONSCIOUS LIVING
Why the habitat of the snow leopard deserves our attention
By Suhair Khan
empty
VIEWPOINT
How did African cheetahs get to India? Photographer Ronny Sen found himself on a plane with them
By Ronny Sen