Mukundra reserve hears first tiger roar as RT91 translocated

first roar of a tiger was heard at the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota district of Rajasthan on Tuesday, with the translocation of a big cat from Ranthambhore.

A three-and-a-half-year-old tiger, RT-91, of Ranthambhore reserve (RTR) was tranquilised by a wildlife department at Ramgarh Vishdhari sanctuary in Bundi, fitted with a radio collar and transported to MHTR, said Ghanshyam Sharma, Kota chief conservator of forest, wildlife.

“RT-91 was kept in a cage and transported through road in a canter to Darrah wildlife range covering over 100 km,” Sharma said.

“After reaching Darrah, the tiger was released in 26-hectare enclosure.”

Wildlife enthusiast Sudhir Gupta, who was present during the release of RT-91, said the tiger’s arrival in MHTR would boost ecotourism in Kota. MHTR deputy conservator of forest T Mohanraj said, “The tiger remained inside the cage for 20 minutes before jumping into the enclosure.”

The tiger will be kept in the enclosure for a week to a fortnight to acclimatise it with the wild of MHTR before releasing it in around 80-square km forest area, bounded by a 32-km-long stone wall and 15-km chain-link fencing, officials said. Two buffaloes and around 2 dozen cheetals have been kept at the enclosure, which RT-91 can prey on.

Mohanraj said, “Ten personnel of Special Protection Task Force of RTR and 8 of the wildlife department have been deployed for the security of the tiger.”

Sharma said, “RT-91 was straying into forests of Ramgarh sanctuary, which is unsafe for the tiger as villages are situated in the vicinity and some poachers were arrested recently. To ensure security to the tiger, it was rescued from the sanctuary and released in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve.”

This India’s first relocation of a big cat to decongest a wildlife habitat. Tigers have been relocated in to repopulate dying

DARRAH (KOTA)::The