Ustad not welcome back at his home in Ranthambore

JAIPUR/DEHRADUN: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is planning “slow” release of ailing tiger Ustad — accused of killing four people last year — in the wild again but not to Ranthambore, his original home.

The tiger, also known as T-24, might be relocated to the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary or proposed Aamali Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan from Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur, NTCA sources told HT.

Ustad is unable to go home due to opposition from the Ranthamore Tiger Reserve management to his relocation back to the wild. The authorities fear it could lead to a fresh round of protests by locals, who forced his captivity in 2015.

Ustad will remain in captivity at Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur and there is no question of releasing the animal into the wild, saidYogeshKumarSahu,fielddirector of Ranthambore Tiger Project in Sawai Madhopur.

“T-24 was shifted as he was a danger to human life and killed four people. The decision to make him captive was taken under the Wildlife Protection Act,” he said.

HS Negi, inspector general of NTCA said, “We are keeping Ustad underobservationforamonthatthe park and thereafter, will choose soft releaseasanoptionforrelocation.We are yet to decide where.”

Duringsoftrelease,thetigerwillbe keptinbigenclosures,exceedingover 10 hectare, for a few months before hisfinalre-introductionintothewild, where he will be under observation for two more years.

“There’snothingtoobservewhen the animal is in a cage. So once it is released, only then observations can be made,” Negi added.

The NTCA is looking at soft release as Ustad is suffering from idiopathic megacolon — a disease resulting in inability to defecate — that affects wild animals kept in captivity. Veterinarians from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in UP had put him on a special diet as he is unable to defecate properly since December 2015.

Sahu said the tiger’s health will be reviewed after a month. “He was suffering from blocked intestine and wasoperateduponinDecember2015. Ustad suffered from the ailment in Ranthamborealso.Thesameproblem occurred in Udaipur after which a surgery was held,” he said.

Ustad was labelled a maneater after he killed four people in Ranthambore. He was shifted to SajjangarhinMay2015.InJuly,NTCA acceptedthatthetimegapbetweenthe attackswas‘considerable’anditcould have been a consequence of close proximity. Still, Ranthambore management shifted the animal, owing topressurefromlocalsaswellasstaff.

In December 2015, tiger conservationistAjayDubeydemandedUstad’s release back into the wild but the SC upheld the decision of keeping the animalincaptivityin‘publicinterest’.