Jaipur: A big cat from Ranthambore took a bigger stride this time! It almost leapt into history as it trekked 220 km (as the crow flies) between the state's reserve and Datia in Madhya Pradesh. Though long dispersal of tigers from Ranthambore were reported earlier, but this is the longest distance in a direction travelled by any dispersed tigers from Ranthambore. The dispersal, identified as one amongst the three male cubs of tigress T-26, has been documented by deputy conservator of forest, Ranthambhore, Y K Sahu, Dharmendra Khandal, field biologist of Tiger Watch and Ayan Sadhu, junior research fellow, Wildlife Insitute of India, Dehradun. For the record, in 2011, a young male tiger, wandering through Karnataka's forests had treaded 280km (as the crow flies), from Bandipur to Shikaripur, Karnataka. This dispersal is said to be the longest documented distance traversed by a tiger anywhere in the world! According to the report, “By the end of January 2013, the sub-adult cubs of tigress T-26, about two years old, began to disperse from their mother. On January 23 and 24 night, the villagers of Khandar and Ganeshnagar reported movement of tigers. Forest department staff continuously monitored their movement,” the report said. The forest department recorded that one of the cubs of T-26, identity assumed on the basis of area of operation, was sighted by farmers near Khandar fields and Ganesh Nagar fields on the night of January 23 and 24, 2013. The next morning, pug marks were noticed near Dhamida ghata, 7 km from the forest stretch at 11 am by Khandar guards. By January 25, pug marks were again witnessed along Banas river in the morning towards Bichpuri. The marks led up to Bheonji, near Bichpuri village, 12 km from Dhamida ghata and then 4 km away near Gopaz Ghati leading to the Kailadevi Sanctuary. After that, the tiger crossed Chambal river and entered the forests of Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh and was tracked by forest officials of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as well as 'village wildlife watchers'. Between January 28 and February 9, the tiger had travelled 70 km from its natal place in Ranthambore from near Utgir forest in Madhya Pradesh to Telipura village. A cow was found mauled to death. This incident was reported by the village wildlife watchers near Birpur territorial range confirming the tiger's presence. STRIPED STRIDE The dispersal (220km) has been documented by forest and wildlife organization officials In 2011, a young male tiger wandering through Karnataka’s forests had treaded 280km Comparison of snaps taken in Datia and by the wildlife organization revealed that the tiger is T26’s male cub Camera trap helped find strayed tiger Jaipur: The tiger went unnoticed for quite a long time and Ranthambore's forest department track team returned home. But in the first week of March 2013, the forest division of Datia in Madhya Pradesh reported movement of a tiger in Seoda range. “Since there was no reported tiger presence in this area earlier, a team was sent from Ranthambore to assist the Datia forest staff. On March 27, the killing of a wild boar alerted local staffers who installed cameras and managed to get three photographs of a tiger. The pictures were matched with stock snaps by the WII team. The comparison revealed that the tiger's pictures taken in Datia matched with those of T26's male cub,” the report notes. “We concluded that the tiger roaming in the Seoda range is one of the male sub-adult from the present litter of T26,” says Khandal.