Bengal Tigress From MP To Be Released Into Satkosia Enclosure Tonight

Bhubaneswar: A Royal Bengal tigress of the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh will be released into the special enclosure in the core forest area of the tiger reserve of the Satkosia Sanctuary in Tikarpada area of Odisha’s Angul district Thursday night.

The special vehicle carrying the tigress arrived at Tikarpada at about 7.30 pm. From there, it moved towards the Raigada tiger reserve in the core area where the tigress will be released into the special enclosure.

A senior Forest official said the two-year-old tigress weighing 134 kg is extremely active. She was picked from the Bandhavgarh National Park after the Forest staff tranquilized her at about 4 pm on Wednesday.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Field Director, Satkosia Sanctuary, Sudarshan Panda said a special enclosure to house the tigress has been built near the enclosure where the Bengal tiger brought from the Kanha National Park was released on June 21.

“The arrangements made inside the special enclosure for the tigress would be similar to the enclosure where the Bengal tiger has been kept”, he added.

He also said that like the Bengal tiger, the tigress will also be fitted with both GPS and a satellite tracker to monitor her movement inside the enclosure. The customized radio collar will help track the two big cats in the dense forest after they are released from the enclosure.

He also said after the Bengal tiger and tigress are accustomed to the Satkosia environment, two more pairs of Bengal tigers would be brought from the Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to increase their population in the sanctuary.

Talking to mediapersons, Forest and Environment Secretary, Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said it is necessary to house a pair of tigers and tigresses for better coexistence. “Considering this, it was indispensable to bring the tigress from Madhya Pradesh,” he pointed out.