‘Sundari’ to be relocated to Madhya Pradesh soon, Odisha Forest deptt confirms

Bhubaneswar: Ending all speculations, the Odisha Forest Department today declared process to relocate tigress ‘Sundari’ from Satkosia sanctuary to its original habitat in Madhya Pradesh has begun.

After tigress ‘Sundari’ turned hostile and killed two persons and a bullock at Baghamunda and Tainsi villages near Satkosia sanctuary in 2018, the big cat was kept in an enclosure at Raiguda in the core area of the sanctuary.

Worth mentioning, ‘Sundari’ along with tiger ‘Mahavir’ was translocated to Sakosia from Madhya Pradesh in 2018 as part of the country’s first inter-state tiger translocation project.

However, Mahavir was caught in a snare and died four months after being released.

When Sundari tuned hostile, the Forest personnel tranquilised her and kept in the enclosure.

In December last year, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wroted to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik requesting him to ensure proper care of tigress ‘Sundari’ her shifting to Kanha Tiger Reserve in the neighbouring state.