Use of Live Bait in Tiger Reserves

GS3 – Environment

 

Context:

A tigress named Kankati recently killed two individuals in Rajasthan’s Ranthambore National Park.

What is Live Baiting?

Live baiting refers to the use of live animals such as goats or buffalo calves to attract large predators like tigers—either to feed them or lure them for capture.
Originally introduced during the colonial era as a hunting technique, it was later adapted in post-independence India to improve the chances of tiger sightings for tourists in wildlife reserves.
Though banned in 1982 for tourism purposes, it continues to be used in specific contexts such as feeding old or injured tigers or capturing animals involved in human-wildlife conflict, including leopards.

Policy and Legal Framework

Activity	Current Status	Details
Tiger tourism using live bait	Banned	Prohibited since 1982
Capturing conflict-prone wildlife	Allowed	Still practiced with animals like goats or dogs to lure leopards or tigers
Feeding aged or injured tigers	Permitted but discouraged	Not illegal, but the NTCA SOP advises against it to maintain natural behaviors

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) stresses minimal human intervention and discourages artificial feeding to retain wild instincts among tigers.

Impacts of Live Baiting (Ranthambhore Case Study)

• Loss of Fear: Tigers accustomed to humans are more likely to attack people and livestock, as seen with Kankati.
• Reduced Hunting Skills: Reliance on human-provided food weakens survival capabilities. Example: Simba, a cub, succumbed to injuries from a failed hunt, and T36, a male tiger, was killed due to his inability to defend territory.
• Conservation Risks: Artificial feeding can disturb natural prey-predator balance, reduce genetic strength, and impact long-term species survival.
• Ecological Disruption: Over-intervention—such as artificial waterholes and transporting prey—further alters natural habitats and can enable weaker animals to survive, increasing internal competition and potential human conflict.

Ethical and Conservation Concerns

• Undermines the natural law of “survival of the fittest”—key to ecosystem health.
• Compassion-driven interventions may hinder sustainable wildlife conservation.
• Experts recommend prioritizing habitat preservation and minimizing human influence as the most effective conservation approach.