Overview
- The peer-reviewed CCMB study, published Friday in Animal Conservation, finds tigers near tourist roads show higher stress hormones.
- Cats inside core zones show sharper stress spikes than those in buffer areas, with the strongest effect in Tadoba and Bandhavgarh.
- Researchers report that stressed females avoid noisy areas, which can lower breeding success and alter cub development.
- The team used non-invasive tests on 610 genetically confirmed scats from 2020 to 2023 across Corbett, Tadoba-Andhari, Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Periyar.
- Authors support tourism’s role in funding but call for vehicle caps, shorter safaris, no crowding at sightings and new waterholes off tourist routes to protect breeding areas.