Jaipur: A three-and-a-half-year-old tigress from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh was successfully translocated and released into a “soft enclosure” at Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) Saturday, the second tigress brought to Rajasthan from MP under the interstate tiger translocation programme.After a nearly 20-hour journey, the convoy of vehicles carrying the tigress reached Mukundra Hills Saturday morning. Sugna Ram Jat, field director of MHTR in Kota, said, “The tigress was soft released at 8:30am into a one-hectare enclosure in Jhamra Valley area of the reserve. A joint team of officials and experts from Bandhavgarh and Mukundra Hills will monitor her round the clock to assess behaviour, health, and adaptation as per standard operating procedures.”
With this, the number of big cats in MHTR increased to seven, including four females, two males, and one cub. Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla said, “This step is significant in strengthening the tiger population and improving genetic diversity in Rajasthan. It will help reinforce the ecological balance of the forest and promote tourism, creating employment opportunities for local communities.”The tigress was tranquilised on Feb 27 by a team of field trackers, an elephant squad, wildlife veterinarians, and field biologists.
