Hunt for suitable male companion for Panna tigresses

Though in all likelihood the tiger will be shifted by September 25,it depends on various situations like sighting of suitable tiger and weather conditions besides available logistics,he said.

In March,the Madhya Pradesh Government had relocated two tigresses from Bandhavgarh and Kanha reserves to Panna to repopulate the species after all the striped animals disappeared from there drawing severe criticism from wildlife experts who alleged the park was not safe for the big cats.

Now the government has been seeking relocation of a male tiger in Panna with an aim to increase the feline numbers in the reserve.

“We were just waiting for the expert team from the WII to identify the male tiger and help it shift to Panna to provide mate to the two tigresses there,” R S Negi,Madhya Pradesh Chief Wildlife Warden said.

The team will have to follow the tiger relocation protocol framed by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which calls for selection of a dispersal big cat (the animal which has not identified its territory) and in the age group between three to four years.

However,the Madhya Pradesh’s tiger relocation plan has not amused wildlife experts who feel the state government has not taken sufficient steps in the reserve to make the environment safe for the predators.

“The tigers will meet the similar fate as that of the earlier species,” prominent conservationist Belinda Wright claimed.

Another wildlife expert Raghu Chundavat said,“Over 40 tigers have vanished from Panna.An inquiry should be conducted into where they have gone in the last few years,how they have died.”