Bhubaneswar: The second tigress from Tadoba-Andheri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, intended for relocation to Similipal Tiger Reserve, reached Odisha on Thursday evening. The tigress has been named Ganga. Earlier, on Oct 27, the first tigress from the same reserve in Maharashtra reached Odisha and was released into the wild last Saturday. She was named Yamuna.
In the first week of Nov, a team of forest department officials, including a veterinarian, a range officer, and an assistant conservator of forests, proceeded to Tadoba. The team, equipped with special vehicles from the rapid response team and animal transport vehicles, along with other logistics, reached the reserve to bring the tigress to the state.
The translocation project is part of a plan for revival of tiger population in the country. Earlier this year, the state sought permission to translocate two tigresses from Tadoba and the permission was accorded then. Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), Susanta Nanda, said Tigress Ganga will be put in a special enclosure for a few weeks before being released into the wild. “Since it was brought in a special vehicle, it needs to remain in the enclosure,” Nanda added.
Officials said that the age of the tigress is two and a half years and it completed a two-day journey from Tadoba to reach Odisha. A special team has also been formed to look after the health and behavioural pattern of Ganga in the enclosure. A similar translocation project was initiated by the state govt in 2018 in Satkosia Tiger Reserve by introducing tigers from Madhya Pradesh, but the project failed miserably.