Concerns grow over inbreeding as tigress with cubs spotted in R'bore

Jaipur: A four-year-old tigress, RBT-2313, along with her two cubs, was captured on camera traps in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Sawai Madhopur. The sighting occurred on Monday morning in the Khariya Khal forest area near Bodal post under Phalodi range.

Forest personnel immediately alerted senior officials, who initiated monitoring and tracking of the tigress. Forest minister Sanjay Sharma shared the news on Twitter, saying, "Good news from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve…Today RBT 2313, a 4-year-old female tiger, was camera trapped with two cubs. This tigress is moving in the Kharia Khal area of Bodal Naka under Phalodi Range of RTR. The male tiger RBT 108 is the tiger of the same area and possibly the father of this litter of RBT 2313."

RBT-2313, daughter of tigress T-79, is around four years old and inhabits the Bodal forest area. However, concerns have arisen as tiger T-108, named Jai, is not only the father of RBT-2313 but also the suspected father of her two cubs, indicating a rare case of inbreeding.

An expert explained, "Twelve-year-old Jai is the offspring of tigress T-17 (Jaya) and tiger T-28 (Bhamia). Tigress T-79, the mother of RBT-2313, is the daughter of the famous tigress T-13, known as ‘Old Sultanpur.'"

Ranthambore National Park, spanning 1,700 square kilometres, currently hosts around 80 big cats, including cubs. However, recent tiger relocations from RTR to other reserves in Rajasthan, such as Mukundra Hills, Ramgarh Vishdhari, and Sariska, have also disrupted the sex ratio. A forest official said, "Ideally, the male-to-female ratio should be 1:2 or 1:3 to maintain ecological stability and minimise competition. The equal numbers of adult males and females have disrupted this balance."