Translocated tigress released into Rajasthan's Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve

Kota: A tigress (PN-224) translocated from Pench Tiger Reserve was released into the forest at Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan's Bundi district on Sunday as part of the Inter-State Tiger Reintroduction Programme, forest officials said.

As part of the prescribed acclimatisation process, the three-year-old tigress was kept in a soft-release enclosure at Bajaliya from December 22, and was released for free movement into the forest, they said.

The enclosure gates were opened on Saturday afternoon, following which she voluntarily exited and entered the forest early Sunday morning, Chief Conservator of Forests, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), Kota and Project Director Sugnaram Jat told PTI.

The entire release operation was executed in the presence of senior forest officials with monitoring teams comprising veterinarians, field biologists and trained frontline staff, in accordance with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols, he added.

The tigress will be continuously monitored through radio telemetry, field tracking, and surveillance to observe her movements, health, and adaptation to the natural habitat, Jat said.

PN-224 was airlifted from Pench reserve to Jaipur in an IAF MI-17 helicopter on December 21 and was later transported by road to Ramgarh Vishdhari, the officials said.