Baripada: Jamuna – the Bengal tigress brought from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra – was released into the wild from its soft enclosure at Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Susanta Nanda, shared some pictures and video of the tigress while being released into the wild on his X handle and wrote: “For the first time we have a tiger supplementation anywhere in the world to enhance the gene pool of tigers.”
Jamuna-the tigress brought from TATR is released to the wild from its soft enclosure…
For the first time we have a tiger supplementation anywhere in the world to enhance the gene pool of tigers. Wishing the program succeeds. pic.twitter.com/758xLf2UdA— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) November 9, 2024
The 2-and-a-half-year-old tigress Jamuna was kept in a soft enclosure in the core area of STR, a day after its arrival on October 27 after a 36-hour journey covering over 1,000 km under a translocation project to curb inbreeding and improve the gene pool of tigers inside the reserve, where 50% are melanistic. Of the 24 tigers in Similipal, 13 are pseudo-melanistic due to genetic disorder caused by inbreeding which experts opined could, in the long run, adversely impact the population of the normal yellow-coated royal Bengal tigers.
Meanwhile, the wildlife wing of Forest Department has also initiate the process for relocating another Bengal tigress from TATR. The 10-member team has reached TATR and is likely to bring the second female tiger to Similipal in a week.
Also Read: Odisha Begins Process To Translocate 2nd Bengal Tigress To Similipal From Maharashtra
The STR has also formed four special teams and procured 100 AI-integrated cameras for monitoring and protection of the big cats brought under the tiger supplementation programme.