Bhubaneswar: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has held back the permission to relocate two Royal Bengal Tigers (RBTs) from Madhya Pradesh to Debrigarh sanctuary in Odisha’s Bargarh district till the findings of probe into two tigresses leaving the Similipal Tiger Reserve is complete.
The NTCA had granted technical clearance for the translocation of two tigers but is now reassessing the situation arising out of tigresses Zeenat and Yamuna leaving the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) – Wildlife Prem Kumar Jha recently said that they woukd reassess the situation and then take a decision whether to proceed with the relocation of tigers to Debrigarh or not.
“Usually male tigers have their demarcated territories. However, tigresses too have their territories which sometimes overlap. Yamuna and Zeenat had started exploration of the territories after they were released into the Similipal forests,” the PCCF had said earlier.
Zeenat and Yamuna are in the process of establishing new territories, leading to their migration between forests. This territorial expansion is typical behaviour for tigers, Jha said.
