India’s tigers are exhibiting noticeable behavioural changes, including a rise in attacks on humans and increased movement outside protected areas, according to the State of India’s Environment 2026 report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
The report, unveiled during the Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2026 near Alwar, suggests that ecological degradation, habitat saturation and human proximity to forests are reshaping the behaviour of the country’s big cats.
Between January and June 2025, at least 43 people were killed in tiger-related incidents near reserves across India. During the same period in 2024, 44 fatalities were recorded. In four of the 43 attacks in 2025, tigers reportedly consumed parts of the victims.
While tigers rarely become habitual man-eaters, experts note that ageing, injury or the disappearance of natural prey can push them towards easier targets. The report cites conservation biologist K Ullas Karanth, who suggests that one factor may be the “big cats losing their fear of humans.”
India’s growing tiger population, alongside expanding human settlements near forested areas, has intensified interaction. A recent study referenced in the report estimates that in 20 tiger-bearing states, nearly 40 per cent of tiger habitats are shared by about 60 million people. With reserve areas reaching saturation, more tigers are dispersing into human-dominated landscapes.
The report highlights a striking ecological shift involving Lantana camara, an invasive plant that now occupies nearly half of India’s forest, scrubland and village commons in some regions. Originally introduced as an ornamental hedge, lantana suppresses native grasses that support wild herbivores such as cheetal and sambar.
As wild prey avoid lantana-dominated areas, domestic cattle grazing in these patches have become easier targets. Ninad Mungi of Aarhus University noted that lantana provides dense cover and restricted escape routes, creating predator-friendly habitats in otherwise prey-poor landscapes.
In reserves such as Bandhavgarh and Tadoba, tigers are increasingly using lantana thickets outside protected zones as daytime refuges and hunting grounds.
Livestock predation adds another layer of complexity. Compensation schemes for cattle losses often cushion financial impacts on villagers. In some areas, this has created what the report describes as an “unspoken economic arrangement,” where tigers convert surplus livestock into cash through state payouts.
However, researchers warn that such indirect subsidies may alter tiger behaviour further, increasing their dependence on livestock and bringing them into closer, riskier proximity to human settlements
The report concludes that behavioural shifts in tigers are closely linked to overcrowded reserves, habitat degradation and invasive species spread. It calls for stronger community-based conservation models, improved habitat management and reduced human disturbance in tiger landscapes to prevent escalating conflict.
As India celebrates gains in tiger numbers, the findings underscore a growing challenge: ensuring coexistence in increasingly shared and fragmented spaces.