In a significant move aimed at boosting the tiger population in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR), forest officials from the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) successfully tranquilised a fifth tiger on Tuesday. The 5-year-old male tiger from CTR’s Bijrani range will be relocated to Rajaji within the next two days, as confirmed by officials.
The tiger was brought to the Dhela Animal Rescue Centre after being tranquilised, where a team of veterinarians assessed its health. CTR director Saket Badola confirmed that this relocation marks the final phase of the ongoing tiger translocation effort. “This is the last tiger to be translocated under the current project. It will be transported to Rajaji Tiger Reserve shortly,” said Badola.
CTR warden Amit Gwasakoti added that the tiger’s health was thoroughly examined under the supervision of senior veterinarian Dushyant Sharma and RTR’s veterinarian Rakesh Nautiyal. “The tiger is healthy and fit for relocation. It has been radio-collared for post-release monitoring in the forest,” Gwasakoti noted. Biological samples have also been collected for further analysis.
This relocation is part of the Uttarakhand Tiger Translocation Project, which received central government approval in 2016. The project aims to increase tiger numbers in RTR, which currently hosts only 51 tigers compared to Corbett’s robust population of 260 tigers within its boundaries. According to the latest tiger census, Uttarakhand has the third-highest tiger population in India with 560 individuals.
The first tiger was relocated in December 2020, followed by a tigress in January 2021. The third and fourth tigresses were shifted in May 2023 and March 2024, respectively. The current relocation completes the planned five-tiger translocation.
Rajaji Tiger Reserve, which spans Haridwar, Dehradun, and Pauri Garhwal districts, was designated a tiger reserve in April 2015 and covers around 1,150 sq km. The latest census revealed a tiger density of 8.15 per 100 sq km in its eastern region, while three reintroduced tigers were also photo-captured in the western part.
This translocation project is a critical step toward restoring ecological balance and ensuring the long-term survival of tigers in Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
Sources By Agencies
