Tigress SKT02 Inspires Hope for Tiger Recovery in Sahyadri-Konkan Landscape
Tigress SKT02 Inspires Hope for Tiger Recovery in Sahyadri-Konkan Landscape
Kolhapur, August 3, 2025: Tigress SKT02 from the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve has emerged as a central figure in the resurgence of the tiger population across the Sahyadri-Konkan belt over the last decade. With her cubs and their offspring now establishing independent territories, she is being hailed as the ‘Mother of Sahyadri’.
First spotted in a camera trap by the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) in 2014, SKT02 is believed to have given birth in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Two of her female cubs—SKT04 and SKT07—have reached maturity and are helping expand the tiger lineage.
In 2024, SKT04 was sighted in the Sahyadri forest with three cubs. SKT07 was documented in Goa’s Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in 2021 and showed signs of pregnancy again in 2023, although no cubs were recorded. At approximately 15 years of age, SKT02 continues to roam fearlessly through the Sahyadri forest.
“SKT02 is a symbol of tiger conservation not only in Sahyadri but across the entire Western Ghats. The forest habitat in Sahyadri has improved, and all preparations required for tiger reintroduction have been completed,” said Tushar Chavan (IFS), Field Director of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
The reserve forms a key part of a larger ecological corridor connecting Tilari, Radhanagari, Chandoli, Koyna, and Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve. Approximately 32 tigers are known to use this corridor, with 14 of them currently in the Sahyadri region. Under Chavan’s leadership, conservation efforts have been expanded to the entire landscape, including the Radhanagari Sanctuary.
Efforts to reintroduce more tigers are underway. Herbivore species such as sambar and chital are being rehabilitated to build a stable prey base. The reserve has developed a habitat capable of supporting up to 27 tigers. High-level monitoring, including camera traps and regular patrols, is ongoing, and a Preliminary Response Team is being formed. The process is being guided scientifically by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
“We have been studying SKT02 since 2014. Her cubs establishing territory within the corridor indicates successful female reproduction in Sahyadri,” said Girish Punjabi, Wildlife Researcher at WCT.
Rohan Bhate, Honorary Wildlife Warden, added, “The corridor from Tilari to Chandoli, and from Chandoli to Koyna, remains active due to long-term forest department efforts. The acceleration of landscape-level strategy is a significant development.”
The journey of SKT02 and her lineage is a shining example of successful long-term conservation. With reintroduction plans, ecosystem restoration, and coordinated landscape management, the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve is fast emerging as a national model for tiger revival in the Western Ghats.
