The unexpected appearance of a Royal Bengal tiger in the forests of Paonta Sahib has put forest officials from two states, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, on alert, who are now closely monitoring the big cat’s movements in the region.

The tiger was captured on camera in the Khara block of the Paonta Sahib forest range in Sirmaur district on June 14. The image, recorded by a trap camera mounted on a tree, has provided the first concrete evidence of a tiger’s presence in the area, following months of claims by residents of Tokka and Lie villages, located around 7-8 km from the forest block.

What makes the sighting particularly significant is the possibility that the animal could be the same tiger that has remained undocumented in the nearby Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand for nearly a year. Although the aerial distance between Khara and Rajaji National Park is estimated at only 30-40 km, the road distance is around 85 km. The two regions share a contiguous forested landscape, making the interstate movement of wildlife a distinct possibility.

Forest officials in Himachal Pradesh have yet to ascertain the tiger’s gender. However, they have found pugmarks and claw marks on trees near the camera trap, indicating the animal may have been frequenting the area for at least two to three days. A tiger left the claw marks on trees and a mixture of urine and anal gland secretions on trees to mark its territory.

Director of Rajaji National Park, Dehradun, Dr Koko Rose, confirmed that information regarding the sighting had been shared with Uttarakhand authorities.

“Forest officials of Himachal Pradesh have informed us about the tiger sighting in Paonta Sahib. At this stage, we are not ruling out the possibility that it could be the same tiger that has not been documented in Rajaji National Park for nearly a year. The Paonta Sahib forest range and Rajaji National Park share the same landscape and ecological corridor. There is considerable scope for interstate movement of wildlife,” Dr Rose told The Indian Express.

He said a team from Rajaji National Park would visit Paonta Sahib to inspect the site and examine the camera trap images. Dr Rose recalled that a Royal Bengal tiger had also been recorded in the Simbalbara National Park area of Paonta Sahib in 2023. “That tiger had moved from Rajaji National Park into Himachal Pradesh before eventually returning to Uttarakhand. The tiger that has remained undocumented in Rajaji over the past year is a female,” he said.

Forest officials believe the recently operational elevated stretch of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, which passes through Rajaji National Park, may also be facilitating safer movement of wildlife between Uttarakhand and neighbouring states.

The nearly 12-km elevated corridor has been designed to maintain ecological connectivity and reduce disturbance to wildlife habitats.
According to the latest tiger census, Rajaji National Park is home to 51 Royal Bengal tigers. Wildlife experts note that an adult tiger typically requires around 20 square kilometres of territory, often prompting dispersal into adjoining forest landscapes in search of space and prey.

Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Aditya Sharma of Paonta Sahib described the sighting as both encouraging and cautionary. “The presence of a tiger in the Khara forest block is encouraging from a conservation perspective, but it also requires us to remain vigilant. We are increasing the number of camera traps in the area to monitor its movement,” Sharma said.

He pointed out that the forests of Paonta Sahib closely resemble those of adjoining Uttarakhand, with extensive stretches of sal and teak (sagwan) forests.

“The movement of Asiatic elephants between Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is already well documented. Elephants regularly move through these forest corridors and even reach Kalesar National Park in Haryana. Similar movement by tigers is entirely possible,” he added.

Officials said the abundance of prey species, including nilgai (blue bull), sambar and other ungulates, makes the Paonta Sahib forests an attractive habitat for large carnivores.

Interestingly, local residents have long referred to the elusive animal as a ‘dhariwala tiger’ and claimed to have spotted it on multiple occasions over the past several months. Some residents also reported seeing vultures circling overhead in the area, a sign often associated with predator activity. Until now, however, there was no photographic evidence to substantiate these claims. The June 14 camera-trap image has finally validated those accounts, a forest officer said.

Officials said the tiger has so far remained 4-5 km away from human habitations, reducing the immediate risk of conflict. The area is also frequented by the Gujjar and Gaddi shepherd communities, as well as other nomadic grazers who move through the forests seasonally.

Meanwhile, ACF Sharma has constituted a monitoring team comprising Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ved Parkash, Forest Range Officer Surinder Sharma, Forest Block Officer Mudsar, and Forest Guard Virender Chauhan to closely monitor the tiger’s movements.

Notably, in February 2023, a tiger was captured on a camera trap in Simbalbara National Park for the first time, marking the park’s first recorded tiger sighting. Forest officials believe the latest sighting could indicate that the forested landscape of Paonta Sahib is increasingly emerging as an important wildlife corridor connecting Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana.