ADILABAD: The death of two tigers in the forest bordering Chandrapur in Maharashtra is raising concern over the safety of big cats in the contiguous Kagaznagar division. Wildlife experts suspect the deaths occurred due to territorial fights among the big cats. It is said that when a male tiger is roaming in an area, another male tiger comes there and fights with it. This fight sometimes results in the death of one of the two. Female tigers also fight with other tigers in rare cases to protect their cubs.
Female tigers, to get pregnant, migrate from the Tadoba tiger reserve of Maharashtra to Kagaznagar. They prefer to breed here as geographical conditions are suitable for them. Natural rock caves with water sources and abundant herbivores that serve as prey are contributing to the increase in the number of tigers in the Kadamba Reserve Forest.
Since 2015, the arrival of big cats from Maharashtra has increased. Though cattle grazers and farmers brought to the notice of the forest officials about the tiger movements, they neglected to monitor their movements and organize awareness campaigns in the villages. In winter, the migration of tigers from Tadoba increases.
Fear among locals
With the migration of big cats from Maharashtra, the villagers and farmers are afraid of the tigers attacking them and destroying their agricultural fields. Four tigers died in the last four years in the forests in the erstwhile Adilabad district