BHUBANESWAR: Paving the way for re-wilding tigress Sundari, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asked Madhya Pradesh Government to shift the big cat from Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha at the earliest. The direction from NTCA came after Madhya Pradesh wildlife wing expressed its reluctance to restore Sundari back to the landscape from where it had been translocated to Odisha as part of country’s first big cat relocation project in 2018 citing difficulties in re-wilding of the tigress which has been in Raigoda enclosure of Satkosia for more than one and half year.
The NTCA is hopeful of completion of restoration process of the tigress from Raigoda enclosure to one of the tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh in next 30 days. “The process for transportation of Sundari back to Madhya Pradesh is in progress and we are hopeful it will be completed within a month,” said NTCA member secretary Anup Nayak. The Madhya Pradesh wildlife wing has been directed to shift the tigress either to Bandhavgarh forest or Kanha Reserve Forest where they have facilities for re-wilding big cats. NTCA, in its letter last month, emphasised that the big cat should be re-wilded primarily in the landscape from where it had been relocated.
Sundari was brought from Bandhavgarh in MP and released into Satkosia TR on August 18, 2018. The State Wildlife Wing released it in Satkosia shortly after tiger Mahavir, who was brought from Kanha Reserve Forest in MP, was released into Satkosia wild. However, resistance from locals, residing on the fringe of Satkosia, over movement of the two tigers close to human habitations emerged as the biggest challenge in executing the tiger reintroduction programme. Following protests, Sundari was tranquillised on November 6 and shifted to Raigoda enclosure. Subsequently, the big-cat relocation project was put on hold temporarily after tiger Mahavir was found dead in a snare on November 15, 2018.