Bhubaneswar: After successful completion of the world's first inter-State and longest tiger relocation from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Odisha's Satkosia which took almost 24 hours, officials are now closely monitoring the activities of the big cat.
The senior officials are on their toes as the tiger had not fed on a live prey after it was released in a closed special enclosure yesterday. However, it's all other vital physical parameters are in good shape.
It is one of the best specimens of Kanha Tiger Reserve as the tiger is nearly 3 years old and had not established its territory and is ideal for breeding, which will fulfil our objective of boosting tiger population in Satkosia," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Sandeep Tripathy said.
Tripathy further informed that after arrival from Kanha in a special motorcade amid tight security measures, the male tiger was released in the special enclosure and the entire exercise took over two hours.
Official sources said a special team has been formed to regularly track the tiger through radio frequency signals and satellite round the clock once the animal is released into the wild.
"Though it will be a challenging task, we have constituted a committee which will track its location through radio frequency signals and satellite. Besides, a female tiger from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve would be brought in the next phase followed by four other tigers by this year end," Tripathy added.
Odisha Forest and Environment Minister, Bijayshree Routray informed that "Inter-state transfer of a tiger has been done for the first time in the country. The tiger is being watched round-the-clock. The Wildlife Institute of India and Kanha Tiger Reserve officials will decide when the tiger will be released into the wild."