Bhubaneswar: While there were 150 tigers roaming in the forests of Odisha in the year 2000, their numbers have dropped drastically to 40 in 2016. In a bid to save the national animal, Odisha government has planned to release a few tiger couples in the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Angul district.
The Odisha government has finished discussions with experts of National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and in the first phase it will get two Royal Bengal tigers - a male and a female - from Madhya Pradesh by March 2018, informed sources.
"A project report has been prepared and Wildlife Institute of India is providing us with technical support and National Tiger Conservation Authority has also granted us permission. The programme will be implemented soon,” said Regional Chief Conservator of Forests, Angul, Sudarshan Panda.
According to tiger census conducted by Odisha government in 2016, there are at least 40 Royal Bengal Tigers (RBT) and 318 leopards in different tiger reserves and forests of the State including two tigers in Satkosia.
On the other hand, villagers living inside the reserve are worried about their life and livelihood after hearing the news of new tigers being brought.
"We will not be able to venture out of the house in fear so how will we sustain. The government should release the tigers only after providing us with all facilities," said a resident of the reserve, Damodar Sahu.
“Taking into consideration the favourable environmental conditions, it was decided to release the tigers in Satkosia. Therefore people living in the 964 square kilometres of land inside the reserve will be evacuated. Steps are being taken for rehabilitation of the people living in the reserve,” informed Angul district collector Anil Kumar Samal.
In the first phase the core villages in the reserve are being shifted. The small hamlets will also be shifted subsequently, said Samal.
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