BHUBANESWAR/ANGUL: A three-year-old male tiger travelled close to 800 km in a customised vehicle from Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve to Satkosia Tiger Reserve in the State on Thursday to complete what was India’s first ever inter-State tiger relocation.
The young MB-2, as it was named in Kanha, was released into a specially designed enclosure spread over two hectare near Raigoda in the core of Satkosia TR during the afternoon.At 5.15 pm, the young tiger jumped out of the vehicle, ambled across the greenery and then picked up pace to get a feel of its new home in Satkosia where it brings hope for repopulation of the large cat whose population has dwindled over the years.
The tiger translocation between MP and Odisha, carried out under watchful eye of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), is a landmark since it is for the first time in conservation history of India that a tiger from any TR has been sent to another State for supplementation and population recovery.
“The tiger is hale and hearty. We will allow it to stabilise before taking a decision on its release into the wild,” said Chief Wildlife Warden of the State Sandeep Tripathi who was present at Satkosia along with Additional Chief Secretary, Forest and Environment Department Suresh Chandra Mohapatra to oversee the smooth arrival.
On Wednesday, MB-2 was tranquilised in Kanha and after revival, it was put in the specialised vehicle accompanied by two veterinary doctors from Madhya Pradesh, Senior Scientist of Wildlife Institute of India Dr R Ramesh and a team from Satkosia TR. It reached Satkosia in the afternoon on Thursday.
The tiger was radio collared during its capture by the WII scientists. It will be kept in the enclosure for a few days for monitoring physical and psychological status.
Field Director of Satkosia Tiger Reserve and Additional PCCF Sudarshan Panda, who helmed the special project, said the tiger translocation will fulfil the objectives of this ambitious project and help establish viable tiger population in Satkosia.
“We are grateful to the Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh and Field Director of Kanha. We will bring a female after this phase is complete,” he added.When the tiger re-introduction plan was finalised last year, MP had agreed to spare three pairs of tigers for Satkosia. The rest will be brought in phases.
Member-Secretary of NTCA, the apex body for tiger conservation Dr Anup Kumar Nayak said it is a major achievement in conservation history. “What is now required is strong monitoring. The standard operating procedure issued by NTCA should be followed,” he told this paper.
Conservationist Aditya Chandra Panda termed the reintroduction of tigers in Satkosia a landmark moment of new hope and credited successful initiation of the programme to able leadership and initiative of some dedicated forest officers of the State who were adamant to make this happen.
“The re-establishment of a stable, breeding, thriving tiger population in the heart of Odisha in Satkosia will lay the foundation of tiger recovery across the State. Satkosia is contiguous to vast tiger landscapes of northern and southern parts of the State that will get occupied by future spillover tigers if these habitats are protected well,” he said.