Odisha cannot be blamed alone for ‘failure of tiger translocation’

Bhubaneswar: A senior Odisha Forest department official has said the state government cannot be blamed alone for the “failure” of the tiger translocation programme in Satkosia Tiger Reserve as the NTCA and WII were also involved in the programme.

The NTCA has decided to suspend tiger translocation programme in Satkosia Tiger Reserve following the death of a male big cat and confinement of another tigress.

The official said the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) were also involved in the programme.

“It is not justified to blame Odisha government alone for the failure of the tiger translocation programme. Apart from the state forest department, the members of the NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) were also involved in the programme. Therefore, blaming alone the Odisha’s forest department is not acceptable,” Chief Wildlife Warden HS Upadhay told reporters on Friday.

He also did not accept the NTCAs observation that the male tiger was poached inside the Satkosia Tiger Reserve area.

Under the tiger translocation programme, two RBTs, one male and another female, were brought from Madhya Pradesh and released to wild in Satkosia Tiger Reserve. However, the male tiger was found dead and the female tiger has been confined to a small enclosure which is against the tiger conservation guideline laid down by the NTCA.

The NTCA in a letter to Odisha chief secretary said that “The tiger translocation programme at Satkosia Tiger Reserve shall remain suspended till the ground situation in the field improve as per the NTCA guideline/advisory/protocol and subsequent feasibility study.”

(PTI)