Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has begun the process to release three pairs of Royal Bengal tigers from Madhya Pradesh in the Satkosia Sanctuary in Angul district.
Following the in-principal approval by the Madhya Pradesh government, the Odisha government will send a team of Forest officials to Madhya Pradesh very soon.
“In order to ensure the balance in the Satkosia biodiversity, the Forest department had submitted a proposal to the Odisha government. Following the request made by the state government in this regard, the Madhya Pradesh government has agreed in principle to release three pairs of Royal Bengal tigers either from the Bandhavgarh National Park or the Kanha National Park,” Sandip Tripathy, Chief Wildlife Warden, told the media.
“Our aim is neither to raise the population of the Royal Bengal tigers nor to increase the forest boundary, but to maintain a balance in the biodiversity of Satkosia Sanctuary,” he pointed out.
Tripathy said in the first phase, one pair of Royal Bengal tigers would be released in Satkosia Sanctuary while two pairs of Royal Bengal tigers would be released subsequent phases.
“The Forest Department will prepare a protocol after receiving official confirmation from the Madhya Pradesh government. Later a team of the state Forest department accompanied by a team of officials of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) will visit Madhya Pradesh. We have decided to propose the Madhya Pradesh government in April to locate these tigers from the two national parks,” he informed.
He further said that a detailed report would be prepared to make the provisions to bring these tigers from Madhya Pradesh.
Talking about the release of the Royal Bengal tigers, he said in the initial phase, one pair of Royal Bengal would be released in the core area of the sanctuary with the provisions of enclosure, prey base (the assemblage of prey animals available in a given area or habitat to support a predator) and surveillance.
“After their successful movement in the habitat, arrangements would be made to bring the remaining two pairs of Royal Bengal tigers from Madhya Pradesh,” Tripathy said.
He further informed that as the tigers will be released in the core area, the district administration has vacated the people of two villages from the core area and shifted to other areas of the sanctuary.
