Demand to relocate three ageing tigers, more safari routes in Sariska reserve

There are 10 females in STR but of them 50% have aged, and similar is the situation of male tigers as it is important that at least a male and two female tigers be relocated

With the majority of tigers ageing in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in Alwar district of Rajasthan, a demand to relocate three of them was raised on Sunday.

Currently there are 24 tigers in the reserve, which include 10 females, 7 male and 7 cubs. (File image)

The reserve authorities also proposed to open three more routes for safari.

Sariska Tiger Reserve, field director, RN Meena said, “There are 10 females in STR but of them 50% have aged, and similar is the situation of male tigers. Looking at this, it is important that at least a male and two female tigers be relocated here. A request has been made to the chief wildlife warden, and likewise a proposal has been sent to NTCA. Big cats are necessary to help STR grow.”

Currently there are 24 tigers in the reserve, which include 10 females, 7 male and 7 cubs, he said.

The STR has asked the state government to permit the opening of three more routes.

Meena said last year a new route was started, where even tigress and cubs are sighted, now proposals for three more routes have been sent to the chief wildlife warden.

A senior forest official familiar with the development said three tigresses ST-10, 12 and 22 are moving in the northern part ofSTRbut has no male tiger with them.

Tigresses such as ST-3 and 5 relocated from Ranthambore have never given birth to cubs.

“The STR needs healthy and proven big cats to maintain the growth here,” he said.

Commenting on the relocation, Dinesh Verma Durrani, founder secretary, Sariska Tiger Foundation, echoed similar sentiments of what STR field director stated.

“To continue strengthening the tiger population the relocation is necessary, along with shifting of villages from the reserve area.”

He said ST-2, also known as Rajmata, is the only tigress here who has given birth to cubs twice.

Durrani said earlier, the NTCA gave permission to shift tigress Riddhi of Ranthambore to Sariska in January 2021 but nothing has happened.

The tigress was shifted after she was constantly engaged in territorial fights for dominance in the reserve.

He said there have been several attempts at the relocation of tigers to Sariska and a total of 9 tigers have been relocated from Ranthambore so far.

The tigresses ST-3ad ST-5 (both dead) could not deliver any cubs.

The tigress ST-7 and ST-8 could be facing the same fate as they are now around 10-years-old and have not yet delivered any cubs.

“We believe that one of the potential causes, along with the stress caused due to disturbance by the villages inside the jungle, could be inbreeding. Many states such as Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh with high tiger populations are willing to participate in the exchange of tigers to diversify the gene pool of the species which will directly result in improving the chances of survival and production of offspring,” he said.

He informed that there are around 24 villages inside the STR which need to be relocated.