It also supports the theory that the big cats are actively using Karnataka-Goa-Maharashtra corridor
Screengrab of the video captured by Darshan Vengurlekar of the tiger in Sindhudurg
A wildlife enthusiast recently captured a video of an adult tiger in the forests of Sindhudurg district, located around 500 km southwest of Mumbai. This sighting is significant, as a study conducted last year by the Maharashtra Forest Department and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) recorded a population of 10 tigers using the Sindhudurg–Satara corridor. Darshan Vengurlekar, a wildlife lover who has been documenting biodiversity in Sindhudurg and nearby regions, had recently travelled from Malvan towards Dodamarg.
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“I had gone towards Dodamarg from Malvan a few days ago with my friends. While returning through a forested patch in Sindhudurg district, we saw a large animal crossing the road. To our surprise, we realised it was a fully grown adult tiger. Without wasting any time, I switched on my camera and recorded a video of the tiger. Seeing a tiger in this landscape indicates that the area has a good forest cover. I believe that with support from local residents, the forest department should plan better conservation initiatives to keep the wildlife corridor intact,” said Vengurlekar. This isn’t Vengurlekar’s first tiger-related encounter in the region. On an earlier occasion, he had also spotted tiger pugmarks in the forests of Sindhudurg district.
Girish Punjabi, a conservation biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Trust, said, “Sighting a tiger in the Sahyadri Tiger Landscape (STL) is a rare opportunity. These tigers are elusive and mostly nocturnal, as the corridor is fragmented with many villages and agricultural patches mixed with forest. Still, this is a positive sign because the tiger looks healthy. Our collaborative research with the Maharashtra Forest Department in 2022–23 found eight adult tigers and two cubs in the STL. This corridor is vital for tigers dispersing from nearby breeding areas, such as the Kali Tiger Reserve, to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.”
When asked whether the tigers seen in the region are residents, Punjabi explained, “Some are resident tigers, while others may be dispersing individuals. There is data confirming a few resident tigers in the corridor area, along with evidence of breeding, which makes this habitat very important.”
The north-western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri-Konkan corridor, serve as a significant wildlife passage. Navkishore Reddy, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) – Sawantwadi (Sindhudurg), said, “The Sindhudurg–Satara wildlife corridor is a very important area, and the forest department has been monitoring the movement of wild tigers through camera traps. We are making every effort to preserve this corridor, as it plays a crucial role for wildlife.”
This tiger sighting also suggests that tigers are actively using the Karnataka–Goa–Maharashtra corridor, which is a positive development for the tiger recovery program in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
In April 2018, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) set up a special team consisting of members from the NTCA, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and Maharashtra Forest Department to identify recovery strategies for the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR). The STR spans a core area of 600.12 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 565.45 square kilometres, covering regions of Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts.
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