Forest personnel on Wednesday morning released a three-year-old tigress in Panna tiger reserve under a plan to correct sex-ratio in the park dominated by male cubs. 

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The tigress-T-6- was trans-located from Pench tiger reserve on Maharashtra border under the second phase of tiger relocation plan in Panna. One more tigress is to be brought to the reserve which already has 23 big cats.

Panna had caused nation-wide outrage in 2005 when all tigers in the reserve had either been poached or died natural death.  The government then consulted expert conservationists to rehabilitate tigers in the reserve.

In 2009, the tiger relocation plan was implemented.  One tiger and four tigresses from other reserves were trans-located to Panna under the plan.

“The first phase of the relocation plan proved a grand success but  it also skewed sex-ratio with  most cubs being male,” said forest minister Gaurishankar Shejwar.

“The department had been making preparation for translocation of T-6 for the last 20 days.  The tigress was tranquilized at Pench reserve on Tuesday evening  before being loaded in a vehicle.

All precautions were taken to ensure that nearly 750-km long journey by road was hassle-free.

The tigress was also radio-collared,” Shejwar added.