After Maharashtra, Odisha To Receive 2 More Big Cats From Madhya Pradesh

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to receive two tigresses from Madhya Pradesh under the animal exchange programme.

Fourteen tigers will be transferred from tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh, Panna, Kanha, and Pench to Rajasthan, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Four tigers will be relocated to Rajasthan, two to Odisha, and eight to Chhattisgarh, IANS reported, quoting the state Forest Department.

The entire expenditure of the tigers’ translocation will be borne by the states getting the big cats.

‘Tiger State’ Madhya Pradesh has 785 of 3,800 big cats across the country in its six reserves at Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Pench, Sanjay Dubri, and Satpura. The Centre recently approved two more tiger reserves – Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhopal and Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district.

In Odisha, the wildlife wing of the Forest department has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) to supplement the protected area of Similipal Tiger Reserve with a total six tigers in phases.

Two tigresses have already been translocated from Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Odisha’s Similipal to enhance the genetic diversity of its tiger population. While 31-month-old Jamuna is in its habitat, efforts are on to bring back three-year-old Zeenat, which left Similipal Tiger Reserve more than a fortnight ago traversing two states before reaching Bengal.

Of 27 tigers in Similipal, 13 adult tigers are found to be pseudo-melanistic.