Jaipur: The process to relocate a second tigress to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) under an interstate conservation programme aimed at strengthening the tiger gene pool commenced, forest officials said.A three-year-old tigress was recently rescued from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, where she underwent a comprehensive health examination and was fitted with a radio collar for continuous monitoring. A press statement in MP stated, “The animal is currently being kept under observation in a secure enclosure and may soon be shifted to Rajasthan after receiving the required approvals.”Officials said the tigress was rescued on Feb 6 from Beat Damna in Tala Range, falling under compartment RF 327 of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. “Following the rescue, veterinary teams conducted a detailed medical assessment before placing the tigress in a protected enclosure at Behrah in the Magadhi Range for short-term monitoring,” added a source.The relocation is part of a broader strategy to revitalise tiger populations in Rajasthan’s reserves through carefully managed interstate transfers. Earlier, on Dec 21, 2025 a young tigress identified as PN-224 was airlifted from Pench Tiger Reserve in an MI-17 helicopter. The nearly three-year-old tigress, weighing around 135 kg, was selected to improve genetic diversity at Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR). According to the approved proposal, three tigresses are to be translocated from Kanha or Pench to RVTR. In addition, two more tigresses are planned to be sourced from Bandhavgarh or Pench in Madhya Pradesh and Tadoba in Maharashtra. One of these is eventually slated to be relocated to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve.Forest officials said a male tiger from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, earmarked for Mukundra as part of the same programme, was already shifted within the state. “There is prior approval for the translocations. The remaining relocations will be carried out based on the availability of Indian Air Force helicopters,” an official source said.
