Two Tigers Have Boldly Gone Where No Indian Tiger Has Gone Before

Two tigers from the Deccan have left their pawprints in the record books by traversing the longest-known distances for tigers in the country. The young males, one starting from Maharashtra while the other from Telangana, are radio-collared for conservation purposes, and have completed a combined distance of at least 1,600 kilometres&mdashand counting.

C1 is the identifier for the tiger in the lead. A resident of the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, it ventured out of the protected habit in search of a new home. Covering 1,160 kilometres across Telangana and Maharashtra, it stealthily navigated six districts, human-dominated areas and electric fences without being spotted. 

K7, the other youngling, is a cub of the tigress Falguna from Kagaznagar in Komaram Bheem, Telangana. Currently having completed at least 450 kilometres, it was first recorded beyond state boundaries in Maharashtra&rsquos Pranhita Wildlife Sanctuary in September. Officials thought K7 would turn back after the monsoons, but it was seen in Gadchiroli a month later. Pushed out by a dominating male called A1, K7&rsquos looking for fresh landscapes to be the new alpha. Its dispersal is a good indicator for genetically viable populations in the long run. 

C1&rsquos journey, however, may be a cry for help. Radio-collaring allows forest officials to track tiger corridors and their movement patterns after studying the dispersal of &lsquothe Tipeshwar tiger&rsquo, authorities have come to the conclusion that the big cats there need more forest cover. Maharashtra&rsquos tiger population saw a spike from 190 (2014) to 312 (2018), which means more land is required to accommodate the new entrants. Bilal Habib, a scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India told TheTimes of India that C1&rsquos  movement towards the Melghat Tiger Reserve and the Satpuras shows the Deccan landscape&rsquos functional connectivity for the animals.   

While it makes for a fun story to root for these two big cats, C1 and K7&rsquos unintentional records have opened up a dialogue on the need to expand wildlife conservation infrastructure at the state level. As other state governments step up on creating animal corridors and timely legislation, what&rsquos in store for these two overachievers