Tiger translocations to Debrigarh will depend on success of current transfers: Min | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: A plan to relocate three more tigers to Debrigarh from Madhya Pradesh will depend on the outcome of the two big cats brought to Similipal from Maharashtra, forest minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia said on Thursday.
Talking about the health of tigress Zeenat, who was recently transported back to Similipal from Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, Singkhuntia said she is in a perfectly healthy state. A decision will be taken soon on which part of Similipal will be best suited for her re-release in the wild.
“Tigress Zeenat will probably be released towards the south of Similipal since it is the core part of the tiger reserve. It will not be put in the soft enclosure for long since it was already in the wild. The special committee will soon take a call on its release,” the forest minister said.
“There was a plan to bring five tigers to Odisha, out of which two have already arrived. We are assessing the climate and other conditions based on which a decision will be taken on when to bring the other three tigers,” the forest minister said.
He said the behaviour and pattern of tigress Zeenat and Yamuna are being closely monitored. Based on the success of this translocation project, further decisions will be made, ultimately aimed at improving the tiger population in the country.
“It is known that a previous attempt at tiger translocation in Satkosia had failed miserably. For this reason, we have to take a decision very meticulously, and based on the outcome of the current project, we will proceed,” Singkhuntia said.
Notably, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had earlier held back permission to relocate three tigers from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh until investigation on how tigress Zeenat left Similipal is completed.
Talking about the health of tigress Zeenat, who was recently transported back to Similipal from Alipore Zoo in Kolkata, Singkhuntia said she is in a perfectly healthy state. A decision will be taken soon on which part of Similipal will be best suited for her re-release in the wild.
“Tigress Zeenat will probably be released towards the south of Similipal since it is the core part of the tiger reserve. It will not be put in the soft enclosure for long since it was already in the wild. The special committee will soon take a call on its release,” the forest minister said.
“There was a plan to bring five tigers to Odisha, out of which two have already arrived. We are assessing the climate and other conditions based on which a decision will be taken on when to bring the other three tigers,” the forest minister said.
He said the behaviour and pattern of tigress Zeenat and Yamuna are being closely monitored. Based on the success of this translocation project, further decisions will be made, ultimately aimed at improving the tiger population in the country.
“It is known that a previous attempt at tiger translocation in Satkosia had failed miserably. For this reason, we have to take a decision very meticulously, and based on the outcome of the current project, we will proceed,” Singkhuntia said.
Notably, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had earlier held back permission to relocate three tigers from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh until investigation on how tigress Zeenat left Similipal is completed.
