Death of tigress RVT-2 is a huge setback for tiger conservation in Rajasthan

Tigress RVT-2 from the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) had not been sighted or captured by camera traps for nearly a month. After an intensive 3-4 day search by the Forest Department, her radio collar and skeleton were found on the evening of October 14, 2024.

The discovery of RVT-2’s death is deeply concerning, as she represented great hope for the newly established RVTR. She was the first breeding female in six decades following the extirpation of tigers from the Bundi forests.

On October 15, 2024, hair and bone samples collected from the Bandrapole Nallah in RVTR’s core area were sent for investigation. However, what insights can be gained from mere bones, scattered hair, and a radio collar that had not functioned for months? These cannot provide definitive answers about the cause of her death.

While the Forest Department has been quick to declare the death ‘natural’, the significant anthropogenic pressures on the reserve make this conclusion premature. The department cited intact canines and claws as evidence, yet questions remain about the absence of sufficient hair at the site after skin decomposition. 

Furthermore, what is meant by ‘natural causes’ when the tigress was in her prime and the reserve is far from reaching saturation density remains unclear.

Tigers’ return to Bundi forest

In June 2020, a male tiger, T-115, dispersed southwards from Ranthambore in search of territory and settled in the Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. In May 2022, Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR), spanning 1,502 sq km, was established, with Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary as its core area. At that time, T-115, now renamed RVT-1, was the only tiger in the reserve.

Exactly one month after RVTR’s creation, a tigress, T-102, was translocated from Ranthambore to RVTR and renamed RVT-2, becoming the second tiger in the reserve. A year later, in August 2023, a tigress, T-119, also from Ranthambore, was released into RVTR and became known as RVT-3.

In July 2023, RVT-2 gave birth to her third litter of three cubs, likely sired by RVT-1. This event was celebrated by the Forest Department, conservationists and the local media in Bundi, the headquarters of RVTR. It was seen as a promising development for the tiger recovery programme in Bundi's forests, which historically supported good tiger populations. 

However, local reports suggest that one cub died in early September 2023 and by August 2024, a female cub had become independent and likely moved away from the natal range (although it is unusual for a cub to move away so early at just one year old).

The third cub was last seen accompanying its mother about a month ago. Now, with no sign of the cub and RVT-2 confirmed dead, the cub’s fate remains unknown.

Conservation concerns over the death

The death of RVT-2 exposes the vulnerability of tigers in this landscape and raises serious doubts about the effectiveness of tiger monitoring in RVTR. There is no room for complacency in tiger conservation in this tiger-hostile region.

The perceptions and attitudes of the communities surrounding RVTR remain sceptical, filled with suspicion towards conservation initiatives and the creation of the reserve. The urban discourse on tiger tourism, amplified by urban-centric media, is dangerously misleading. The absence of sustained efforts to change these attitudes is a worrying sign for the future of tiger conservation.

The delay in discovering RVT-2’s death resulted in the loss of critical clues that could have helped determine its cause. The last photographic evidence of her was from September 11, 2024. Ineffective tracking, attributed to rains and the “risk to life” for field staff, delayed earlier search efforts. This failure to manage on-ground challenges during the crucial task of tracking the tigress must be recognised as a serious oversight.

Who is accountable for this? How did the WII field biologist, responsible for population studies at RVTR, fail to notice the tigress’s absence for an entire month? And are the rains a valid excuse for the Forest Department’s field staff to halt tracking?

Addressing tiger-hostile attitudes

The socio-economic conditions of local communities and their perceptions of tiger conservation have remained largely unchanged since the historical extermination of tigers. Even if the scant evidence does not point to poaching, there is the potential for ‘preemptive’ hostility from people, given their perceived threats to livelihoods, possible conflicts and unsatisfactory relocation packages.

With immense grazing pressure and the reserve's uniquely elongated shape, which increases the interface between the reserve and village areas, fostering wildlife-friendly attitudes in nearby communities is critical. 

And why is there still no significant investment in programmes aimed at changing these perceptions, reducing human pressures on the forest and creating wildlife-friendly livelihoods?

Future of tigers in the landspace

The long-term survival of tigers in this landscape depends on the involvement of diverse stakeholders in conservation, not just a focus on the tourism sector. Stakeholder collaboration, particularly with local communities, will be essential to ensuring the future of tiger conservation in RVTR.

The death of Tigress RVT-2 is not only a setback for the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve but also a significant blow to Rajasthan’s tiger conservation programme, which seeks to restore the northwestern tiger population on a landscape scale.

Narendra Patil is a freelance writer. He writes on wildlife, ecology, nature conservation

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth