BHUBANESWAR: Forest officials in Satkosia on Friday tranquillised tigress Sundari and removed the radio collar fitted on her neck.
As tigress Sundari (T-412), a three to four-year-old female, is growing, the radio collar fitted a year back was removed to prevent it from getting embedded in its neck.
A team of forest officials and veterinary doctors from Satkosia and Similipal carried out the task.
Satkosia DFO Ramaswamy said the collar has been removed temporarily and will be fitted properly soon. Sundari is in sound condition at present, he said.
Sundari was translocated from Madhya Pradesh under India’s first tiger-relocation programme and released to Satkosia in August 2018.
However, the big cat was tranquillised and brought back to the holding area in Raigoda after it reportedly attacked local villagers who had ventured into the forest areas where it was residing.
Following protests and law and order situation, it was captured and sent back to the enclosure on November 6 in the same year.
The State Forest and Environment department had convened a meeting last month to hold talks over its restoration to Madhya Pradesh, after the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) suspended the tiger translocation project at Satkosia for an indefinite period.
The Satkosia DFO said the Madhya Pradesh government had should report on Sundari’s health to initiate process for its restoration.
The health report has been sent to Madhya Pradesh government last month, he said.