CM Raje puts brakes on plan to shift tigers to Sariska

A source in the forest department said Vasundhara Raje’s order has come after the standing committee of the State Board for Wildlife pointed out several loopholes in the security and upkeep at the reserve

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Thursday directed the forest department not to shift tigers to the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) till remedial measures were taken to make it a safe habitat for the big cats.

Among others, the SBWL panel had in its report recommended immediate relocation of 26 villages located in STR. (HT File)

A source in the forest department in the know of things said Raje’s order has come after the standing committee of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) pointed out several loopholes in the security and upkeep at the reserve.

Among others, the SBWL panel had in its report recommended immediate relocation of 26 villages located in STR.

“STR is facing grave crisis because of these villages located inside core tiger habitat,” the report said.

It also recommended immediate replacement of the existing collars of the big cats with advanced GPS-enabled VHF collars. It had also suggested round-the-clock monitoring of the tigers by separate teams working in shifts to prevent poaching in the reserve, which had lost all its big cats in 2005.

The report said that if the above measures were not implemented immediately, Sariska could once again lose all its tigers.

The recommendations came after one tiger, officially identified as ST-11 died on March 19, and a tigress, ST-5, went missing on February 21. It is yet to be located.

The recommendations came after one tiger, officially identified as ST-11 died on March 19, and a tigress, ST-5, went missing on February 21. It is yet to be located.

The state government had last month asked the SBWL to enquire and report the reasons for the two incidents and shortcomings in the monitoring system at the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), spread over 800 square kilometres in Alwar district.