Tiger spotted in Gujarat’s Dahod district; if it marks territory, will be first in state since 1980s

A senior forest official said, “… The tiger, about five years old, may be searching for a new territory as the population of tigers has significantly increased in Madhya Pradesh. We are not yet tracking it closely as it is yet to show signs of marking territory in Gujarat that is clear enough to declare that the state has its first tiger in several years. So far, it has only shown movement in the fringe area.”

Wildlife experts explained that male tigers, especially sub-adults and adults, establish new territories by challenging rivals or moving into unclaimed forest areas. “Tigers are known to travel several hundred kilometres in search of territory. Males disperse and move away sooner than females. They use many ways to convey ownership of a territory, including scents, visual appearance, aggression toward intruders, and marking signs such as scratching trees, roaring, urinating, and dropping scats. They also patrol their territory regularly to check for intrusions—mainly from other tigers—and once dominance is established, they begin hunting there,” said an expert.

In February 2019, a tiger was spotted in Lunawada in Mahisagar district, and its presence was confirmed via camera traps. However, the tiger was found dead days later, suspectedly due to poison.

A senior government official said, “Usually, villagers around an area where a tiger has been spotted go into immediate panic mode… For now, we have advised villagers in Dahod not to panic. The official confirmation of the sighting can be made only when the tiger has settled in its territory and the groundwork has been done on educating the villagers around it.”

According to the forest department, Gujarat last recorded a tiger population of around 12 in 1989, mostly in the forests of Dang in South Gujarat. The 1992 tiger census declared the state was free of tigers.