Echo of 1928 in Sariska experiment

But exciting and groundbreaking as this ‘experiment’ is said to be, it is not the first of its kind to unfold in Rajasthan, despite the Forest Department’s repeated assertions that this is the “world’s and India’s first such attempt”. The Royal Bengal tiger has been translocated in this western state before in an exercise remarkably similar to the one we see play out before us now.

In 1928, the Maharaja of Dungarpur, Maharawal Laxman Singh, faced the same predicament that inspired wildlife specialists to bring in the Royal Bengals from Ranthambore — the tiger population in his area had been hunted out of existence. With remarkable foresight, the Maharaja translocated two tigresses and one tiger from Gwalior to his kingdom, in a venture that yielded extremely successful results.

Over years spent in the forests hunting, the royal family not only knew the correct ratio of tigers to tigresses (for a viable population, there should be more females than males), they also had a unique way of ensuring that the forests did not get overpopulated with the big cats.

“Around two tigers were shot every year in order to keep the population stable. Guards were employed to keep the tigers safe and they knew the minutest details of their habits and how to keep the population viable. From 1930 onwards, there are official records of 48 tigers being shot to prevent them from straying out.”

However, after Independence, the royal family lost administrative control over the land. “Forests were cut down and the tiger was shot mercilessly. It then became locally extinct from Dungarpur,” he says.