The wild cat, who was captured earlier this year in a conflict situation, has been radio-collared so that her movements can be monitored.
Soon, tigress E-1 will be released into her new home at Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati. The wild cat, who was captured earlier this year in a conflict situation, has been radio-collared so that her movements can be monitored.
This translocation experiment, will pave the way for further relocation of tigers from congested habitats. The move will help curate and manage tiger numbers and ensure the reduction of human-animal, and animal-animal conflict.
E-1, who is around three years old, was captured in Bramhapuri on May 31, after she wandered too close to human habitation and was blamed for two human deaths. She was brought to the MTR on Sunday, from Gorewada Rescue Centre at Nagpur.
A similar experiment in the past ended in tragedy. In 2017, another tigress from Bramhapuri was released in Bor tiger reserve but was electrocuted by a farm fence after she lost her way. To avoid such mishaps, E-1 will be monitored during her acclimatization period while she marks her territory.
Bramhapuri, which falls in Maharashtra's tiger capital of Chandrapur, has around 40 tigers and also hosts a spill-over population from the neighbouring Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). This leads to high conflict between humans and animals. "The tigress has already been soft-released," said Nitin Kakodkar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife), "She is kept in an enclosure and will be released into the wild by just opening the gates."
Kakodkar told DNA that future translocation will be undertaken on a case-to-case basis. While tigers from Central India can be released into the same landscape, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), is studying whether their genetic make-up makes relocation to areas such as the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve possible.
They can be picked out of populated habitats such as Bramhapuri and Chandrapur and shifted to reserves such as Navegaon Nagzira and Sahyadri, have lower numbers. Kakodkar said tigers from areas such as Brahmapuri can be shifted to habitats like the Navegaon- Nagzira tiger reserve, Melghat, Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary and Gadchiroli district.
"We will have to consider the prey base, fragmentation of the habitat and proximity to villages to make the decision," explained Kakodkar.
According to the 2014 tiger census, India has 2,226 tigers, up from 2010's 1,706. Maharashtra had around 190 big cats in that year, and 169 in 2010. This increased to 203 in the Phase-IV camera trapping exercise in 2014-15. The state has six tiger reserves, namely Tadoba Andhari, Pench, Bor, Sahyadri, Melghat and Navegaon Nagzira, and a healthy number of tigers outside protected areas as well.
Translocation has already helped enhance the tiger population in reserves such as Panna and Sariska, where poaching had wiped them off. Cambodia, where tigers are extinct, has sought India's help to re-introduce them.
Maharashtra is also working on an MoU with WII to identify sites prone to conflict and suitable locations for shifting. The project will also cover conflict mitigation in fragmented landscapes with human presence such as Pandharkawada in Yavatmal, where a "problem tigress" nicknamed 'Avni,' who was blamed for 13 deaths, was controversially shot down by a private hunter hired by the state forest department in November 2018.
A New Home
- E-1 was captured in Bramhapuri after she wandered too close to human habitation and was blamed for two human deaths
- This translocation experiment will pave the way for further relocation of tigers from congested habitats.
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