The travelling tiger covers distance of 125 km again from Sariska to Rewari; forest officials on alert

As per the latest reports, a three-year-old male tiger, identified as ST-2303, has travelled approximately 125 km from Sariska Reserve in Rajasthan to Jhabua Forest in Rewari, Haryana. Reports add that this happened for the second time in eight months. The tiger's journey likely began last week when it wandered out of Sariska, following the Sahibi River, which offers a suitable prey base.



Forest department officials initiated a search after the tiger’s pugmarks were discovered in the Aravalli forest on Saturday evening. The tiger was last seen in Khairthal-Tijara district, near the Rajasthan border, where it attacked a local farmer. By Sunday morning, additional pugmarks were found in the 800-acre Jhabua forest, confirming the tiger’s presence in the area.Deepak Patil, the Divisional Forest Officer of Rewari, stated that multiple teams have been deployed to monitor the tiger and prevent it from straying into nearby villages, which could create panic among residents. However, the dense forest and surrounding millet fields, which provide excellent camouflage for the tiger, make capturing and tranquilising the animal challenging.

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Reports further add that ST-2303 previously made the same journey in January, staying in the Rewari forest for four days before returning to Sariska. The tiger had taken a similar route, passing through Bhiwadi and hiding in mustard fields before retreating to its original habitat.
Forest officials from Haryana and Rajasthan are working together to trace the tiger and encourage its return to Sariska. However, wildlife experts believe the tiger may naturally retrace its steps. According to wildlife biologist Sumit Dookia, the tiger is likely searching for a separate territory due to competition with stronger males in Sariska, which is home to over 40 tigers.

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Dookia also noted that the Jhabua forest, though providing temporary shelter, is too small to sustain an adult tiger long-term. He emphasised the importance of protecting the wildlife corridor between Sariska and the Aravalli hills in Haryana, as the region lacks a female tiger and sufficient territory for ST-2303 to establish a permanent home.