Chandrapur/Baripada: Authorities have identified two tigers from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra and started the process to capture the two felines for relocation to the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, an official said Tuesday.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has given the nod to the proposal for translocation of two felines from the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve to the STR in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, TATR field director Jitendra Ramgaokar said.
A high-level meeting of authorities of both the tiger reserves was recently held to prepare an action plan for the relocation of the big cats.
The STR had put forth the demand for two tigers before the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, NTCA and other agencies.
“Following the demand, the STR authorities got the necessary permission for the relocation of tigers from TATR,” Ramgaokar said.
Two tigers from the Tadoba reserve have been identified, he said.
Twenty-five officials from both reserves have already launched the fieldwork to observe the movement of the two tigers and the pattern of their activities, he said.
“The capture of non-troublesome tigers is a big task and officials are on the field to work on the project. After the two tigers are captured, they will be shifted to the STR,” Ramgaokar said.
There are nearly 100 tigers in TATR.
Last year, two tigresses from Chandrapur’s Bramhapuri range were released into the Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Maharashtra’s Gondia district as part of the intra-state tiger translocation programme aimed at curbing the man-animal conflict.
Another tiger was relocated from here to the NNTR six months back.
At least 22 persons have been killed in attacks by tigers, leopards and wild boars in Chandrapur district so far this year, as per officials.
Last year, 22 persons were killed, while 53 fatalities were reported in man-animal conflicts here in 2022, they said.
PTI