The Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve would end up being just an enclosure with a ‘captive Tiger’ kept for ‘entertainment purpose’
For those who just yearn for a sure shot sighting of Tiger, the proposed Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) would be the haven. But then the adventure, excitement and the thrill of seeing the fierce ‘Cat’ in the wild would be completely missing. Reason: MHTR is going to be just an enclosure where Tiger would be kept captive across 82 sq km of forest area unlike the full-fledged Tiger Reserves like Ranthambhore and Sariska where the Big Cats live in natural habitat with proper ecosystem.
The MHTR will might soon get a tiger albeit a young one which can be tamed easily.
“The enclosure is 82 square kilometer in area. It has a eight feet high wall on top of which metal barricading and chaining has been done to a height of four feet taking the entire height to twelve feet which will deter the feline from moving out of the area,” an senior official told DNA.
The project has already been postponed twice. Now the government hopes to revive the area by bringing a tiger from Ranthambhore.
According to highly placed officials in the forest department, the plans are to release a tiger not in the open environs of the park but to regulate its movements by releasing the feline in a large enclosure with boundary tall enough to deter the feline from moving outside its limits. The tiger would be released here and herbivores would be released in the enclosure from time to time. “At first the chosen tiger would be released in a twenty four hectare enclosure in Darrah area where it will be monitored and acclimatized to the new surroundings” said Ghanshyam Sharma, Field Director, MHTR.
Once the acclimatization process is completed with the feline showing signs of normal behaviour, it would be transferred to a bigger enclosure.
But would that not amount to putting a wild animal into an enclosed semi-wild environ. “The enclosure would ensure that the feline is sighted by people who go inside the park. While this might be good for hoteliers and tourism in general it is surely a practice best that should not be entertained” a official from the department said.
Even former officials have come out against the move. “Releasing a tiger in an enclosed area,however, big in size, is not the right act. Only once a substantial prey base is established and villages relocated, should a tiger be introduced here,” said Tejveer Singh, retired IFS.
He further added, “This would tantamount to keeping a tiger in a zoo. Keeping a wild tiger in an enclosure is not a right act.”
Even scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India have termed the move faulty while also pointing out that the issue has two sides to itself. “There are no tigers there at present and it is such a linear strip that if you release a tiger there it is likely to move out towards human habitation and cause problems. Till the prey base is built up outside and move the habitation out from the area, the only solution is to keep the tiger in an enclosure and maintain in a semi-wild condition,” said Y S Jhala, Dean -Wildlife Institute of India.
Tamed Tiger
- A young Tiger from Ranthambhore to be relocated at Mukundara Enclosure
- 12 ft enclosure across 82 sq kms
- Good for hoteliers and tourism as sighting is confirmed
- Equivalent to an open zoo with ready feed in vicinity of Tiger
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