Rajasthan: NCTA approves relocation of tigresses from Ranthambore

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved shifting three tigresses from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) to two other state reserves, forest officials said on Saturday.

The news comes a day after the only tigress MT-4 in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) died of illness.

Confirming the development, RTR field director Sedu Ram Yadav said the technical committee of the NTCA has approved the state’s request for shifting three tigresses.

“One tigress will be shifted to MHTR in Kota and two to Ramgarh Visdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi. The request was made to maintain the one plus two (one male, two female) rule. The tigresses are being identified and soon will be shifted after completing all the procedures,” Yadav said.

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The MHTR is left with only one big cat (MT-5), as the nine-year-old pregnant tigress MT-4 died of illness on Thursday afternoon. The tigress had fully formed cubs still unborn in her womb. An official said it was the first case of prolapse of the rectum with a tiger in the country.

The tigress was shifted to MHTR in 2019, and a tiger T-110 was shifted in 2022 from RTR.

In 2018, the tiger relocation plan was altered due to pressure built by the previous government.

The tigers from RTR were relocated to the Darrah range of MHTR instead of Seljar against the NTCAs approval. However, after five tigers, including three cubs, died and one male tiger MT-1 disappeared mysteriously, the state again sought permission from NTCA to pair the lone surviving tigress MT-4.

Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, which the Centre approved in 2021, has one male and one female big cat, and two tigresses in phases will be shifted.

A forest official said the population of big cats at RTR is increasing, and they need more space/ territory or else “they would either fight or migrate”.

The Ramgarh Vishdhari and other reserves had been an old natural habitat for tigers.