Jaipur: In a concerning development, authorities have confirmed that 25 tigers have gone missing from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, one of India’s largest and most renowned tiger habitats.

The disappearance of nearly one-third of the reserve’s tiger population has prompted the Rajasthan Chief Wildlife Warden, Pavan Kumar Upadhyay, to establish a probe committee to investigate the matter, media reports indicated.

According to an internal report, the tigers’ absence has been noted for some time, with officials acknowledging the situation only recently. Upadhyay, who is also the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), stated that he first became aware of the issue after reviewing the Tiger Monitoring Reports. He revealed that he raised the issue in April 2024 but did not receive satisfactory responses at that time.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Upadhyay explained, “When I became the Chief Wildlife Warden, I started studying the Tiger Monitoring Reports. I wrote the first letter in this regard in April 2024, but the response was not satisfactory.”

Upadhyay stressed that the decrease in the number of tigers should not be immediately assumed to be the result of poaching or fatalities. He suggested that several factors could explain the missing tigers.

“There could be several reasons for this,” Upadhyay said. “It’s possible they aren’t being captured on camera traps. We monitor tigers using three methods: pugmarks, direct sightings, and camera traps. The last two are the most reliable. If tigers aren’t being sighted, they may have moved to areas that aren’t being monitored, or they may have migrated to other regions.”

Upadhyay also noted that some tigers from Ranthambore occasionally move to nearby reserves, such as Kuno, and vice versa. “We are not ruling out any possibility, and the committee’s report will provide clarity on the situation,” he added.

The probe committee, once formed, will be tasked with investigating the disappearance and providing a detailed report on the findings. Authorities are hoping that the investigation will help to shed light on the reasons behind the missing tigers and reassure conservationists and the public alike.