In just seven months, one tiger has walked more than 1,000 miles across India: all in aid of a new home, some food and a mate.
The two-and-a-half-year-old male tiger – known as TWLS-T1-C1 – left the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal district of Vidarbha in June this year, fitted with a radio collar to track his movements.
In just five months, the tiger had travelled more than 800 miles (1,300km). Now, seven months into his incredible journey, C1 has walked further than any other tiger in India: logging more than 1,000 miles (1,700km).
Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) Field Director Ravikiran Govekar – who also looks after Tipeshwar Sanctuary – told The Indian Express that the tiger had already travelled 932 miles (1,500km) on his journey to Ajanta – it was the return leg to Dnyanganga that broke records.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Nitin Kakodkar also told the outlet:
After travelling up to Soygaon beyond Ajanta Hills, the tiger had started moving back to Dnyanganga and reached there on Friday.
Despite crossing farms, highways and water, C1 has only come into contact with humans once – the tiger ‘accidentally injured’ a person part of a group exploring the Hingoli district of Marathwada, where the animal was resting.
In his travels, the tiger hasn’t moved in a ‘linear manner’ – over the five months, C1 prowled through Maharashtra and the neighbouring state, Telangana. In November he was spotted in another wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra. According to GPS satellite tracking, he’s been recorded in more than 5,000 locations.
However, his expansive travelling continues to baffle officials, who are still trying to ascertain the real intent of his journey.
Kadodkar added:
Tiger needs food, shelter and mate. He had often lodged himself in forest areas but didn’t remain there beyond 4-5 days. Along the way, he has also killed wild preys as well as cattle. In some of the areas that he had moved, like Dnyanganga, there were good hideouts as well as food.
So, we thought this epic journey could be for a mate. But is that the real intent? We don’t know yet. If he would be looking for a mate, he could have further moved towards Muktainagar In Jalgaon distinct, where there are few but it preferred to return to Dnyanganga.
Bilal Habib, a scientist at the Sector Wildlife Institute of India who has been monitoring C1’s movement, believes he is likely searching for a female.
Habib added:
It is likely there might have been some females in areas he has so far moved but those territories could already have been occupied by some dominant males. So, it is perhaps finding it difficult to get territory and mate both at one go.
It’s hoped that C1 will switch its path towards the Melghat Tiger Reserve, where it will find plenty of food, shelter and even a mate.
Cue The Proclaimers.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.