Sources said the tigress was taken to the tiger reserve in Raigoda area of the sanctuary and released into the enclosure at about 9.50 pm. The tranquillized tigress later killed and ate a wild boar released into the enclosure by the Forest staff after regaining consciousness.
The health of the tigress is perfect, said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Field Director, Satkosia Sanctuary, Sudarshan Panda.
Giving details of the tigress, he said the two-and-half-year-old tigress with a length of eight feet weighs 134 kg.
Panda said a special enclosure for the tigress has been built near the enclosure where the Bengal tiger brought from the Kanha National Park on June 21 was released. “The arrangements made inside the special enclosure for the tigress is similar to the enclosure where the Bengal tiger has been kept,” he added.
He also said 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.
The tigress was brought in a special vehicle by a team of Forest officials and veterinary doctors of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh and experts of Wildlife Institute of India (WWI) at about 8 pm on Wednesday. The team arrived at the sanctuary in Tikarpada area covering a distance of more than 700 km.
Asked about the housing of the two big cats, Forest and Environment secretary, Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said it was indispensable to bring the tigress to find a partner for the lone tiger which was brought here earlier.
“It will be a challenge for us to ensure that the two big cats stay healthy in the new environment and get acclimatized to the biodiversity of the sanctuary. Special efforts have been made for their 24-hour monitoring. The Forest staffs have been asked to report on the activities of two tigers and tigress in every hour according to the guidelines,” he added.
Wildlife expert Bijay Ketan Patnaik said there is a possibility of a threat to the lives of these two big cats if the people residing in the tiger reserve area are not entirely shifted. Besides, there are also reports on Maoist activities in the sanctuary.
“The entire efforts of the state government will be lost in case the two big cats are killed by them,” he observed.
