Bhubaneswar: A tigress from Maharashtra has been brought to Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

The Forest Department has brought the tigress from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra.

A special team of the Forest Department had been deputed to TATR to bring the tigress. “The team along with tigress began their journey for Odisha at 9 am yesterday. They are expected to reach Similipal tonight,” said STR field director Prakash Chand Gogineni.

The tigress, aged around two and a half years, will be kept inside a special enclosure at the core area of STR for a few days before its release to the wild, he added.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had given their approval for translocation of two female tigers from Maharashtra to Similipal.

The Forest Department will bring another tigress from TATR to Similipal within a few days. The tiger translocation project is being implemented to introduce new gene pool to the big cat population at the STR.

The state government has also planned to bring three tigers, one male and two females, from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Sambalpur district.

A few months ago, the Forest Department had revealed that Odisha is home to 30 adult tigers and eight cubs. The department made this revelation after conducting the All Odisha Tiger Estimation 2023-24.

According to the census data, Similipal has 27 adult tigers (14 females and 13 males) and eight cubs.