Bengal Tigress Sundari Back In Core Area Of Satkosia Sanctuary

Angul: The Forest officials of Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary heaved a sigh of relief after the Bengal tigress Sundari finally moved inside the core area of the Satkosia Tiger Reserve on Wednesday night.

Talking to mediapersons on Thursday, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Field Director of Satokosia Sanctuary Sudarsan Panda said that the Bengal tigress had on its own moved inside the core area of the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) and was seen moving freely with Mahavir, the male Royal Bengal tiger which was brought from the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

“As Sundari had shown no sign of leaving the human settlements, the Forest department had brought traps to catch her and release in the STR. In case, she managed to skip the trap, we had decided to tranquilise her. Thankfully, the tigress went back to the STR late on Wednesday,” Panda said.

The PCCF further said that going by the behaviour of Sundari, she is most likely mate with Mahavir. If the mating takes place, the objective of raising the population of Bengal tigers in Satkosia would be fulfilled. “The mating will bring down the possibility of Sundari straying into the human settlements anymore,” he pointed out.

The tigress had the Forest officials on their toes after it had strayed into human settlements in Athmallik Forest Range and killed a calf of Bipradiha village after crossing the overflowing Chanagodi Nullah on September 2. Later, it had killed five cattle of the village on September 14.

Tension had prevailed at Hatibari village in Satkosia after the irate people of the village ransacked Dhandatopa Forest Beat House and Tikarpara Forest Range office and set them on fire after the death of a woman whose body was found on the outskirts of the village on September 12 morning.

Following information, a team of experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau had arrived at Satkosia and monitored the movement and behaviour of the tigress for three days.

The team later maintained that there was no question of shifting the tigress and she would stay in Satkosia. The team had also asked the Forest Department to seek the cooperation of the villagers and provide them with adequate security.

Sundari was brought from the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh on June 28 and released in the core area of STR on August 18.