Context: Six tigers have been unaccounted for since March 2020 in the Ranthambore tiger sanctuary, Rajasthan.
Details:
State forest officials are not willing to label them missing and denied reports that they may have been poached.
Independent wildlife groups such as Tiger Watch have alleged that the tigers have been missing for over a year and that negative human intervention is the cause (poaching).
The National Tiger Conservation Authority, a wing of the Union Environment Ministry, has constituted a committee to ascertain the disappearance of the tigers.
About Ranthambore Forest Reserve:
The Ranthambore forest reserve consists of highly fragmented forest patches, ravines, river streams, and agricultural land.
The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is connected to the Kuno-Palpur landscape in Madhya Pradesh through parts of the Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary, the ravine habitats of Chambal and the forest patches of Sheopur.
Tributaries of river Chambal provide easy passage for tigers to move towards the Kuno National Park.
Ranthambore National Park harbours dry deciduous forests and open grassy meadow. The flora of the park includes 539 species of flowering plants.