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Bhubaneswar: With all attempts to capture tigress Sundari still failing, Odisha government on Monday decided to deploy additional teams to tranquilise the big cat which has been branded as a man-eater by locals near Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray informed that once captured, the tigress will be shifted to a well-protected environment at Nandankanan Zoo on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
“It appears that the tigress has become more cautious following the attempts of our teams to tranquilise it.
However, additional teams will be deployed to capture Sundari and subsequently it will be shifted to Nandankan,” said Routray.
Routray further stated that such decision has been taken keeping in view the several aspects including safety of people which cannot be overlooked completely.
“Our plans are to keep Sundari in the tiger safari in Nandankanan and we will notify NTCA officials in this regard. If they do not accept our proposal, we may consider sending back the tigress to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh from where it was brought as a part of the ambitious Tiger Translocation Programme,” Routray added.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sundari, the Royal Bengal tigress brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in June was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in the month of August.
On July 6, a tiger brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh was also released into the same Tiger Reserve.
As per reports, this was the first pair of tigers to be released into the forest under the tiger relocation project.
However, the demand for shifting tigress Sundari gained momentum after the big cat allegedly killed two persons and a bullock in separate incidents in Baghamunda and Tainsi villages inside the tiger reserve earlier this month.
