BHUBANESWAR: Odisha on Sunday set the ball rolling for the ambitious tiger relocation project in Similipal landscape with arrival of the first big cat from Maharashtra.
“The female tiger has been brought from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). The translocation project to supplement the existing tiger population in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) is a significant step towards conservation of big cats in Odisha,” said Forest and Environment minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia.
After being tranquillised on Saturday, the big cat from TATR travelled around 900 km in a special transport vehicle to reach Similipal. Two teams comprising officials and staff of Similipal and members of rapid response team escorted the vehicle. Sources said the tiger was supposed to be brought by October 23. However, the plan was delayed due to multiple reasons including cyclone Dana. “The tiger will remain in observation for the night. It will be soft-released to the special enclosure created in the core area of the tiger reserve on Monday,” said PCCF (wildlife) Susanta Nanda.
Nanda, also the Chief Wildlife Warden, said the two-hectare enclosure in the core of Similipal south division and free from any kind of human intervention, will be the place where the big cat will be kept for next one to two weeks before being released into the tiger reserve.
During its stay in the enclosure, the female tiger will be radio-collared for monitoring its movement. A six-member team comprising forest frontline staff of Similipal and a GIS expert have undergone training at Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Maharashtra to track the radio-collar and assist STR authorities in monitoring activities.
The translocation is considered significant as it is the first big cat relocation project in the state since suspension of a similar programme between Odisha and Madhya Pradesh in 2019.
Forest officials said following the approval of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Maharashtra government agreed to give two female tigers from TATR to Odisha for the big cat supplementation programme in Similipal. The second female tiger will also be brought from TATR soon.
The Forest department has also received nod from the NTCA to introduce three more tigers, two male and a female, in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The state has also got green signal to resume the suspended tiger relocation programme in Satkosia subject to compliance to certain conditions including voluntary relocation of villages, creation of more inviolate space and enhanced protection measures.