Bengaluru: A sudden spike in human-wildlife conflict towards the end of the last year once again reignited a long-running debate over the carrying capacity of Karnataka’s tiger reserves. For over a decade, the issue resurfaced whenever incidents involving tigers rose, with the state govt and forest officials often attributing attacks on humans to reserves running out of space.However, a recent analysis by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), based on data submitted by Karnataka, challenged the claim. The review found that three key tiger reserves — Bandipur, Nagarahole and Biligiri Ranga Temple (BRT) reserve — currently had tiger populations well within their estimated carrying capacities.
The issue came into sharp focus in the first week of Jan this year when chief minister Siddaramaiah chaired a meeting to reconsider the ban on jungle safaris in tiger reserves. The first question he posed to officials was about the reasons for the sudden rise in conflict. Forest minister Eshwar Khandre attributed the surge to high tiger density in Bandipur and Nagarahole.“Bandipur had just 12 tigers when it was notified as a tiger reserve in 1972, but the population has now crossed 200! Experts estimate that each tiger requires about 10sqkm of territory. With two reserves together spanning roughly 900sqkm, the area is effectively supporting nearly double the optimal population density, resulting in the likelihood of tigers straying into the human habitats,” Khandre briefed the CM.Amid what it described as an unusual and unprecedented rise in tiger capture incidents across Karnataka, NTCA reviewed the draft conservation plans for Bandipur, Nagarahole, and BRT reserve to assess how many tigers these landscapes can scientifically sustain. During Sept-Dec 2025, Karnataka rescued and rehabilitated 27 tigers.Following its analysis, NTCA wrote to the chief wildlife warden of Karnataka on Jan 27, stating: “As per the available scientific assessments, the tiger populations in these reserves remain within their estimated carrying capacities.” The analysis, compared with the figures of the 2022-23 tiger census report, revealed that Bandipur had enough space to accommodate an additional 119 tigers, Nagarahole 35, and BRT 34.NTCA also cautioned against routine captures of tigers. “In high-density landscapes, occasional dispersal of tigers beyond the protected areas is a natural ecological process and may not always warrant capture, and such situations are often better addressed through intensified monitoring and appropriate conflict-mitigation measures in accordance with NTCA guidelines. The issue may be examined in a comprehensive manner, taking into account ecological data, long-term conservation objectives and best national practices, so that tiger management in the state continues to remain science-based, balanced and sustainable.“
