Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has been recognized as one of India's strongest source tiger reserves, with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) identifying it as a critical landscape for the future expansion and recovery of tiger populations across northwestern India.
The recognition comes in the NTCA's strategic report, “Roadmap for Active Management of Tigers in India”, released in June 2026, which outlines the country's long-term tiger conservation strategy up to 2047. The report places Rajasthan among the states with the most significant tiger landscapes and proposes a three-tier conservation framework that prioritizes the revival of low-density tiger reserves through scientifically managed dispersal and reintroduction of tigers.
According to the report, 13 tiger reserves across the country have been identified as “source population” reserves—protected areas that support stable, breeding tiger populations capable of naturally supplying tigers to other landscapes. Ranthambore is the only reserve in northwestern India to receive this designation.
“Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is one of India's most important source populations for tiger conservation in the semi-arid, dry-deciduous forest landscapes of northwestern India,” the report states. It attributes the reserve's success to suitable habitat conditions, abundant prey populations, and effective protection measures.
The NTCA notes that Ranthambore supports a robust breeding population of tigers sustained by a healthy prey base comprising sambar, chital, nilgai, wild pig, and other ungulates. With an estimated tiger density of around **9.6 tigers per 100 square kilometers**, the reserve ranks among the highest-density tiger habitats in the country.
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The report also underlines Ranthambore's growing role in repopulating neighboring forests. It says dispersing tigers from the reserve have naturally colonized surrounding landscapes, including **Kuno National Park** in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan's **Ramgarh Vishdhari, Mukundara Hills, and Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserves**.
Recognizing this ecological expansion, the NTCA has designated Ramgarh Vishdhari, Mukundara Hills, and Dholpur-Karauli as future “recipient landscapes”, where naturally dispersing tigers from Ranthambore are expected to establish viable populations.
The report emphasizes that such natural dispersal forms the cornerstone of India's future tiger conservation policy. It recommends active management of tiger populations by strengthening source reserves while facilitating the recovery of depleted or locally extinct tiger populations in suitable habitats.
The NTCA also calls for periodic reviews of tiger populations in low-density reserves and prioritizes reintroductions in reserves with five or fewer tigers, ensuring that India's tiger conservation program remains scientifically driven and ecologically sustainable through 2047.
