BHUBANESWAR: With the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) successfully completing the initial phase of the tiger supplementation project following Zeenat delivering the first litter, the Wildlife Wing is gearing up to approach the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the translocation of more big cats.
Official sources said the medium-term objective of the tiger supplementation project - bringing in female tigers and producing the first generation of cubs through pairing with Similipal tigers - has been achieved, with Zeenat mating with local male T12 and subsequently giving birth to four cubs.
“This success will be highlighted in the report to be submitted to the NTCA soon, seeking its advisory for the next move,” said STR field director Prakash Chand Gogineni.
Meanwhile, a team of forest officials from the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra visited Similipal to understand the implementation framework of the supplementation project and study the special enclosure and boma developed by STR authorities for the purpose.
The tiger supplementation project, launched to boost Similipal’s genetic diversity, envisaged the release of six tigers - five females and one male - over a period of five years. NTCA approval was granted for the first phase involving the release of two tigresses, which has now been completed following the translocation of Jamuna and Zeenat from the Tadoba landscape in Maharashtra. The next phase will depend on a review of the current experience, its outcomes and other factors.
While the state Wildlife Wing is optimistic about the continuation of the supplementation project, there is a catch. The state may not receive immediate NTCA approval for the second phase of relocation due to the risk posed by canine distemper virus (CDV) in Madhya Pradesh.
Primarily known as a dog disease, CDV is highly contagious and is known to kill even tigers.
In April and May this year, at least five to six tigers, including cubs, died from suspected CDV at Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This prompted local authorities to launch intensive vaccination drives for village dogs on the park’s periphery to prevent further spread.
“CDV is a highly contagious disease that attacks a tiger’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. Though there is no risk of the virus spreading in STR, the NTCA may not grant immediate approval for relocation owing to the suspected outbreak in the Central India landscape, which has even prompted Maharashtra to initiate vaccination drives for stray and domestic dogs around its tiger reserves,” said a senior wildlife official.