Sariska likely to get one male tiger from Ranthambore
ALWAR: THE TWO MALE CUBS IN STR ARE ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD AND WOULD REQUIRE TWO YEARS TO REACH THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE.
If all goes well, Sariska tiger reserve in Alwar could soon get a tiger from Ranthambore national park, said officials from the forest department.
State’s chief wildlife warden has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for permission to relocate a male sub-adult (which hasn’t separated from its family) cub of T39 tigress from Ranthambhore.
At present, Ranthambore has 44 tigers with an equal number of males and females while wildlife experts suggest that there should be more females than males. “Ideally, the ratio should be three tigresses for one tiger,” a former STR official said.
After the initial breeding success in STR after tigers were reintroduced to the tiger reserve, Sariska now needs males for breeding of first generations tigresses born here. Sariska has 14 tigers -two males, two sub-adult male cubs and 9 females.
The tigresses ST7 and ST8 are five-year-old and are expected to reproduce. The tigress ST3 and ST5 which are more than eight years old have not given birth to cubs.
The male tiger ST4 and ST6 are more than 10 years old for compatible match for tigresses ST7 and ST8 a young sub adult male cub is required to ensure better breeding success.
The two male cubs in STR are about two years old and would require two years to reach the reproductive age.
So for the speedy growth of tigers in STR the re introduction of sub adult male tiger has become crucial for ensuring breeding success in STR.
Field director of STR R S Shekhawat told HT that at least one male tiger around four to five years required for ensuring better breeding success in STR and once the permission comes from the NTCA male tiger would be brought in from the RTR.
The last relocation happened in January 2013 when tiger ST10 was brought from RNP.
After vanishing of tigers in STR in 2005, reintroduction of tigers was taken up for the first time in 2008. Initially, two male and three female tigers were introduced in November 2010. Due to poisoning of male tiger ST1, tiger ST6 was introduced in the STR in Feburary 2011. Later tigresses ST9 and ST10 were also reintroduced from the RTR in January 2013