India's tigers climb high as climate, human pressure rises
Tigers in India have been photographed in high-altitude mountains rarely seen before, with experts suggesting relentless human pressure and a heating climate are driving them from traditional hunting grounds.
Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) said they were surprised to find "multiple pictures" of tigers in the mountains of Sikkim—the Indian state squeezed between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet—including one snapped at 3,966 meters (13,011 feet).
The camera traps were installed in "high-altitude regions to understand the impact of climate changes on large mammals", said Sandeep Tambe, ecologist and chief warden of Sikkim's forest department.
"One of the major possible causes may be the impact of climate change and rising anthropogenic pressure," said WII researcher Pooja Pant.
Tigers have been spotted in the colder higher mountains before.
In neighboring Nepal have been spotted at a record 4,000 meters, according to the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF).
As long as there is enough prey, tigers are usually expected to stay in warmer forests lower down.
But they are now being seen more regularly at higher reaches.
While tigers are known to range over varied terrains and altitudes, the highest concentration of the big cats in the Corbett Tiger Reserve is in the foothills of the Himalayas, ranging from around 385 to 1,100 meters.
Tigers in India have been photographed in high-altitude mountains rarely seen before.