Bhubaneswar: India’s maiden experiment of inter-state tiger relocation turned out to be a huge failure with the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordering relocation of the tigress Sundari from Raigoda enclosure in Satkosia to Ghorela centre in Kanha Tiger Reserve.
Recently, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, urging him to ensure proper care of the tigress till she is shifted to the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
The failure should be deemed as a pathfinder for achieving success in the next venture by overcoming shortcomings in the study, planning and execution by the Forest Department, opined wildlife experts and animal activists of the state.
Secretary, Orissa Environmental Society, Jaya Krushna Panigrahi said, “Tiger is a keystone species that speaks of the status of other wild animals and health of the forest ecosystem. In addition to existing Similipal and Satkosia TRs, we have Sunabeda and Debrigarh as proposed tiger project sites for safeguarding the survival of this endangered species.”
“Odisha should not lag behind in enhancing its tiger population, which has been static at 28 for the last four years, while other states have demonstrated increasing trends, as is evident from the tiger census report of 2018. Our management initiatives and their success will testify to our commitment to the cause of wildlife conservation in the state,” he added.
Animal activist Purabi Patra said, “Sundari was supposed to be relocated long back. The concern is, after being in enclosure for such a long time, it’s difficult to assess her wild instincts. Unnecessary interference in nature’s course leads to disaster. Humans should draw a limit instead of trying to rule everything.”
A member of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Bijaya Kumar Kabi said, “In the last two decades, many incidents of animal deaths in the sanctuary have come to light. This proves that there are some loopholes in our plan. The state forest and environment department don’t have a disaster management team for handling such crisis. Before bringing Sundari from MP, the government could have studied the habitat, where the tigress would have been comfortable.”
“The government must look at the example of the crocodile project in Bhirtarkanika where last year, forest officials sighted more than 1,500 crocodile in the water bodies of the Bhitarkanika National park and its nearby areas,” he added.
A member secretary of Animal Welfare Organisation ‘People For Animals’ Sanjib Kumar Das said, “The translocation was part of India’s maiden experiment of inter-state tiger relocation under the joint project of the NTCA, Odisha government and Madhya Pradesh government. The government could have taken the local population and stakeholder into confidence and utilise them in conservation work. This is very important because they play a crucial role in such projects. We also need more tiger reserves.”
Arindam Ganguly, OP