Russia, Cambodia to follow India model

August 11, 2012 

Deccan Chronicle

By Rashme Sehgal

 

India is leading the way in tiger translocation with countries like Russia and Cambodia keen to take lessons from this success story.

The Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is abuzz with a dozen cubs and five adult tigers which have been brought in from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and the Pench Tiger Reserves in the last three years.

But much to the joy of tiger lovers, the jinx at the Sariska Tiger Reserve has been broken with the birth of a tiger cub after a long wait of four years. The cub was born to ST2, a tigress brought to Sariska from Ranthambore in 2008.

Rajasthan environment minister Bina Kak is overjoyed with this development because the Sariska sanctuary had lost all its tigers to poaching in 2005.

“This is great news for the conservation community in Rajasthan and across the world and will mean a lease of life for Sariska tiger reserve,” the minister said.

Local foresters believe there are more than one cub though the trap camera has so far recorded the photograph of one cub.

Panna Tiger Reserve was also tigerless in 2009. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) relocated two tigresses T1 and T2 from Bandhavgarh and Kanha. It was only after they were acclimatised that a T3 male was brought from Pench Tiger Reserve.

Panna field director R. Srinivasa Murthy pointed out that as a first step he and his staff ensured round-the-clock monitoring on a daily basis. The result was that within a year of the relocation, both the tigresses delivered cubs.

A year later, two cubs born to a tigress reared in captivity and then shifted to the wilds also gave birth to two cubs.

Mr Murthy said, “This is the first time that a semi-wild tigress has been shifted to the wild and was able to adjust to her new environment to give birth to two cubs.”

Relocation of tigers is on the cards for both Russia and Cambodia along the lines that have been followed in Panna. Indian tiger experts, led by WII scientist Dr K. Ramesh, will be overseeing the entire programme in these two countries. The Sariska story has been beset with difficulties as has been pointed out by its present field director Sunayan Sharma making a reference to poaching and the growing presence of religious tourists.