Frontline – July 05, 2019

proveprotectedareamanagement,as wildlifemanagers
always find themselves under the scanner of
“tigerwallahs”.

HIGHTIGER DENSITY
Thedistributionandaggregationof ungulateshavea
strongbearingon the dispersalandmovementof tigers
in a protectedarea.As a case in point,Kanha supports
someforest rangesthatgenerallyhaveexcellentgrassy
expanses andcongenialhabitatconditions,including
perennial waterbodies.Theyattracta numberof differ-
entungulatespeciesandmakeprime habitatsfor high
tigerdensityareas.Withexcellent natalareas,it is not
consideredunusualwheneventwoor threeencumbered
tigressessettle downclosely onthefamous Kanha
meadow andraisetheircubsto adulthood. A goodobser-
vationin interdependence is thatas habitatconditions
gradually becomeinadequateandimpactthedistribu-
tionandaggregationof ungulates, the tigerdensityalso
declines.
Thereare forestranges witha fewgoodgrasslands,
waterbodiesandgoodpopulationsof ungulatespecies,
andalsocarrymediumtigerdensities.However,partsof
twoforest rangesarehilly,undulating anduntilsome
timebackhada fewlargeforest villages andsupport
lowerdensitiesof tigersalmostthroughout therange.
Currently, witharound 100 tigersof different age andsex
classes,thetigerdensityrangesfroma lowof 1.50to a
highof 20 per 100 sq.kmacrossthereserve.Con-
sequently,hightigerdensityareasalsoregisterhigh
probabilities of interaction amongindividuals,giving
riseto manysituationsin day-to-daylife,includingintra-
specific conflicts.
An adulttigeris a highlyterritorial,solitaryanimal
anda stalker,whichhas to huntalone, either by ambush-
ing or closingin on the preyunobtrusively.Tigers,how-
ever,alsoshowflashesof sociabilitywithtigressesand
the cubssiredby them.Likehumansociety where people
are bound togetherthroughpersistent interactions,
status,rolesandnetworking, thetigerpopulation also
survives undera complexsocialorganisation.Thetiger’s
movementsandinteractionsfit, moreor less,intoa range
territory concept/notion.Eachadultresidenttigercom-
mandsa large areaas his home range,andwithin it lies
his territorythat he defends aggressivelyagainstintrud-
ing tigersthroughscent-markingof spurted urine,vocal-
isation,scrapingthe ground,rakingthe trees,andso on.
Theterritoriesof adultmaletigersaregenerally non-
overlapping,buteachterritoryof an adulttigeroverlaps
withthatof threeor fouradulttigresses.Theseterritorial
resident tigersare usuallynot lessthanfourorfive years
old andare pastthe transient phaseafterseparatingfrom
theirmothers whentheywerearoundtwoyearsof age.

LAND TENURESYSTEM
Against thisbackdropof socialorganisation,thereexists
a landtenuresystemwherebyolderandweakertigersare
gradually spacedout by youngerandmorepowerfulones
so that theymayestablishtheirownterritoriesandmate

withtigresses. Besides, the abundance of tigersalsores-

ultsin theirperpetualwanderingandoverlapping with

dominantmalesandadds greatlyto the vulnerabilityof

cubs. Thissocialorganisationandlandtenuresystem

automaticallygiverisetofive broadconditionsin a tiger

population. First,a transient tiger,behaviourally explor-

ativeandrelativelylessskilled,getsintofightswitheither

anothertransienttigeror a powerful residenttigerand

getskilled.

Second, tworesidenttigersmayfight for territoriality

or overa female,andtheweakermayget killedon the

spotor is injuredseriouslyanddiesof his wounds.

Third,a residenttigermaykilloneor all thecubs,

usuallynotmorethanthree,notsiredby himso as to

matewiththe mothertigressandproducehis ownpro-

geny. Infanticideis a well-known behaviourin a tiger

population. Generally, however,a tigerdoesnotkill his

owncubsandis sometimesknownto sharea kill withthe

tigress andcubs.

Fourth, a tigressmaysometimesbe killedeitherpro-

tecting hercubsfroma dominantmaleor forbeing

unreceptiveto the male’s overtures.

Lastly,a tigermayalsokillall thesmallcubsof a

tigress to bringherintoheatfor mating.In mostcases,

suchtigresses are known to matewiththesetigersand

producecubs.It is generally observedthatno tigresswith

cubswillmate witha tiger.In thisway,evolutionary

intricaciesandgenetics havea strongbearingon the

phenomenon of cannibalism. This phenomenon is

definedas theconsumptionof all or partof another

individual of the samespeciesor its product,suchas eggs

or larvae,as food.Expertssay thatcannibalismis espe-

ciallycommonin aquatic ecosystems,andaround90 per

centof life forms engagein cannibalistic activityat some

point in theirlifecycle.Besides,cannibalismis notre-

stricted to carnivores;it alsooccursin herbivoresandin

detritivoresthatfeedon deadplantmaterial. Cannibal-

ismplaysa rolein the balanceof natureandit doesnot

occuronlyas a resultof extremefoodshortageor of

HABITATIMPROVEMENTpracticeshelp buildan

excellent preybaseforthetiger.

SURES

HDESHMUKH