Satkosia Tiger Reserve In Odisha Likely To Get New Pair Of Royal Bengal Tiger

Angul: After the failure of Project Tiger, Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha’s Angul district is set to get a new pair of Royal Bengal Tiger as part of the state government’s plan for protection of the big cat population.

According to sources, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved the proposal of the government for procurement of the tigers. A pair of RBTs including a male and a female will be translocated in Satkosia reserve towards the end of 2024, they added.

Conforming the approval of NTCA, Satkosia DFO Saroj Panda told the media that all preparations have reached the final stage and they were ready to welcome the wild guests.

As per the instructions of the NTCA after the failure of Project Tiger in Satkosia, all measures for safety of the tigers have been put in place.

The DFO said the sanctuary authorities have shifted the villagers of Raiguda, Katarang, Asanabahal and Tuluka inside Satkosia forest to outside. The process is going on for their resettlement. Besides, grazing fields have been developed and ecology improved in the sanctuary for the big cats, he added.

It may be noted that the government had launched Project Tiger in Satkosia after rapid loss of the tigers due to poaching and other factors. As part of the project, tiger Kanha and tigress Sundari were translocated from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in 2018.

But the Project Tiger failed as Kanha was killed by hunters and Sundari was shifted to another relocation following opposition from the villagers as the tigress reportedly hunted their cattle and intruded into villages.

The NTCA had directed the state government to make the sanctuary conducive for tiger habitation. It led the government to start the process of making the sanctuary a sage habitation of the tigers.