In a significant move for wildlife conservation, the Gujarat forest department is seeking assistance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to introduce a female tiger to the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary. This comes more than ten months after a solitary male tiger made the sanctuary its home, raising hopes for reviving a sustainable tiger population in a state that has officially been without the big cat for over two decades.
A Unique Translocation Plan
Unlike recent high-profile operations, such as the translocation of Pench tigress PN-224 from Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan's Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, Gujarat's plan takes a different path. Forest department sources confirm the state will likely receive a tigress that was captured after straying into human settlements, not one taken from a viable wild population.
Officials explained that since Gujarat is not an established tiger habitat, removing a breeding female from a stable wild population could destabilize that source ecosystem. The chosen tigress is expected to be mild-tempered and roughly the same age as the resident male in Ratanmahal.
The Ratanmahal Tiger's Journey and Territory
The male tiger, whose origins are not on the NTCA's tagged list, is believed to have likely travelled from the Ratapani area in Madhya Pradesh. An officer monitoring its movements suggested it followed a corridor through Bopal, Indore, and Alirajpur before settling in Ratanmahal around February. The sanctuary is located in eastern Gujarat, bordering Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur district—a natural wildlife corridor.
Initially staying within the sanctuary and adjacent forests until October, the tiger's behaviour changed in November. Camera trap data and pug mark evidence show it has established a roughly 50-kilometre range extending to Chhota Udepur. In mid-December, a security guard there spotted the tiger and reportedly fell ill from shock for several days. Forest officials note the animal's movement is unidimensional, using a specific route through Kathiwara in MP towards Chhota Udepur before returning.
Several villages around Ratanmahal have reported pug marks and livestock kills, typical signs of a territorial male establishing itself.
Challenges and Conservation Steps
The shadow of a 2019 incident looms over current efforts. A tiger that wandered into Mahisagar district that year died of starvation after 15 days, an event officials say created a negative aspect for Gujarat's tiger protection credentials.
To support the predator, the forest department has been reinforcing prey bases. Since September, 15 sambar and 22 chital have been reintroduced into Ratanmahal. These ungulates have adapted well, with officials spotting a fawn. There are also reports that the tiger has already preyed on two of these animals. The department plans to release 15 more ungulates soon.
In a major administrative push, Gujarat is seeking the NTCA's intervention to designate Ratanmahal as a tiger reserve. This would provide a robust legal framework for protection. The state formally notified the NTCA in November about the tiger's nine-month residency, prompting the authority to issue a letter mandating tiger conservation measures for the sanctuary. Consequently, the All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE) of 2026 will now include Gujarat.
Disputed Sightings and Historical Context
While the core territory is established, some reports from farther afield are disputed. Wildlife activist Alkesh Maachi claims residents of Sanor and Rajpura villages near Dabhoi have reported nocturnal sightings of a "large striped wild cat." He has deployed camera traps near a railway bridge on the Orsang river to verify. However, forest officials dismiss these claims as implausible given the distance from the confirmed territory, suggesting the sightings are more likely of a leopard.
The tiger's presence is historic for Gujarat. The last known tiger in the state is believed to have died around 1985. Although the 1989 census recorded pug marks, the species was officially declared extinct locally by 1992. The only confirmed sighting between 1985 and now was in 2019, when a teacher, Mahesh Mahera, spotted and filmed a tiger in Mahisagar district—the same animal that later died of starvation.
For over two decades, Gujarat has officially been a non-tiger state. Now, with a resident male established and prey populations being bolstered, the critical question is whether the state can successfully sustain a breeding pair if it secures a tigress through the NTCA.
