BENGALURU: The number of tigers in the outskirts of Bengaluru appears to be on the rise. Whether it’s due to the forest department’s conservation efforts or overpopulation in existing tiger reserves, the big cats are now migrating long distances to create their own territory.
Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), located closest to Bengaluru, has reported sightings of more than one tiger roaming the landscape.
Forest department officials are now assessing the number of tigers in BNP, which is spread across 106.83sqkm. A month ago, a lone male tiger was spotted near the boundary of Bannerghatta zoo, close to the safari zone, which is home to several tigresses. Another tiger was sighted near Harohalli range, an area prone to frequent human-elephant conflicts due to urban proximity.
“It seems there are two or three tigers wandering in the national park. We have observed multiple pugmarks, but nothing is confirmed yet,” a forest department official said on condition of anonymity. “This region is not safe for tigers, given its proximity to Bengaluru. With rapid urban development, BNP is turning into a lung space, surrounded by urbanisation. The growing number of leopard and elephant sightings near human settlements is proof of this. A tiger coming into conflict with people could be far more dangerous,” he said.
Officials note that ecologically, BNP can house tigers as it has a healthy prey base and a connecting strip to Tamil Nadu. However, the increasing threat of poaching and human intrusion continues to make the area vulnerable.
The recently released report ‘Status of Tigers, Prey and Other Mammals in Tiger Reserves of Karnataka’ for the year 2024 also noted a rise in the number of tigers migrating long distances in search of safer habitats and prey. “We are currently reviewing camera trap images to analyse the strip patterns of all animals to ascertain the number of tigers. It seems there’s more than one. We will also have to check with officials from other tiger reserves and national parks to trace where these tigers may have come from,” said BNP Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kajol A Patil.