“Living on the Edge: The Tigress of the Village”

Kanha National Park

In 2024, surprising news spread across the buffer area: a tigress, with her 4 cubs, was seen dangerously close to a village. A few days later, experts confirmed that she was a 12-year-old tigress from the core zone, who had been pushed out by a dominant male and had taken refuge in the buffer with her little ones.

At first, everyone believed this would be temporary—after all, the buffer lies close to human settlements, and surely the tigress would move deeper into the forest. But the opposite happened. She made the village outskirts her home.

From late 2024 to the beginning of 2025, sightings were rare, but in recent months, her appearances with the cubs—even walking along near village roads—became almost routine. What worried us most was the thought that, if she ever harmed a human, not only would a life be lost, but the entire tiger family would be doomed to captivity in a zoo.

The villagers became more alert, and thanks to the tireless efforts of the forest department, no tragedy has occurred so far. Yes, the tigress has been hunting cattle, sometimes so close to human houses that forest guards have had to patrol all night to ensure nothing went wrong.

The truth is, encounters between tigers and humans are centuries old. But slowly, step by step, both sides are learning the art of coexistence. And learn we must—because if humans stand at the top of the food chain, it is our responsibility to respect every living creature of nature and to live in balance with them.