Mukundra tiger released into larger forest area
KOTA: EARLIER, THE FOURYEAROLD TIGER, THEN NAMED RT91, WAS RELEASED INTO A 26HECTARE ENCLOSURE IN MHTR ON APRIL 3
The lone tiger relocated to the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) was on Saturday released into a larger enclosure to allow it to roam freely. It was officially renamed MT-1 (Mukundra Tiger-1).
Earlier, the four-year-old tiger, then named RT-91, was released into a 26-hectare enclosure in the Darrah area of MHTR on April 3.
Deputy conservator of forest T Mohanraj said the tiger was released into the 26-hectare inner enclosure of MHTR for over a fortnight to help the animal acclimatise with the surroundings. “The gates of the inner enclosure were opened in the morning today (Saturday) to allow MT-1 to roam in a bigger wild space of 80 square kilometres in MHTR, which is fenced with 30 km of stone wall and 25 km long chain link fencing,” he said.
However, MT-1 did not come out of the inner enclosure till the afternoon. “Usually, it sleeps in the afternoon time and is likely to come out from inner enclosure into outer space of 80 square km by evening today,” the forest officer said.
Mohanraj said the tiger has been renamed MT-1, as it is the first tiger to be relocated in the MHTR after the park’s formation in 2013.
“MT-1 means Mukundra Tiger-1 and it has been given the new name, as its earlier name, RT-91, was based on its earlier habitat (RTR),” he said, adding that the tiger’s nick name is yet to be given. Its earlier nick name were Cow Boy aka Mirza aka Alphonso.
Wildlife department sources said that MT-1 is likely to have the company of two tigresses, to be brought in from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, soon.
RT-91 (now MT-1) has being translocated to the MHTR under an ambitious plan approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to decongest the densely-populated RTR. RT-91 made news when it was born to RT-30 aka Husnara. RT-3 aka Bahadur is its father.