Pench tiger to be shifted to Panna

Seven months after two tigresses were shifted to Panna, Madhya Pradesh forest officials have finally found a suitable tiger in the Pench reserve to be translocated to Panna.

The forest officials had identified a tiger in Bandhavgarh recently but the translocation was stopped when experts warned that it could belong to the same gene pool as one of the tigresses shifted in March.

The Pench tiger, around two-and-a-half years, was spotted some time ago. A team of the Wildlife Institute of India reached Pench on Saturday to facilitate the translocation in keeping with the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s protocol.

“The male is yet to establish its territory so locating it would take some time,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) R S Negi told The Indian Express. He said no deadline could be set for the translocation because the tiger keeps shifting its position to escape the dominant males in established territories. Though two males had been identified in Bandhavgarh, Negi said, the translocation was stopped after experts warned against it. He however, said the option was still open. “WII report on genetic compatibility of the Bandhavgarh tiger is awaited,” Negi said.

By Milind Ghatwai

Link -http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pe...-panna/528425/

Panna is now devoid of tigers. I don't know why they are sending tigers to Panna without removing the reasons that led to the disappearance of tigers. The villages are still there inside Panna. They ought to be relocated first so that the poachers will lose shelters. The tigers can get inviolate space as well. Protection ought to be increased. The reserve should be managed using ecologically sound management plans instead of resorting to short term measures.

Sabyasachi

Such is our expertise that a tiger would be tranquilised twice. Sharing the news item.
Sabyasachi

Tiger in Panna to be tranquilized again for radio collaring
PTI 11 November 2009, 07:10pm IST

BHOPAL: A tiger translocated to Panna Reserve in a bid to revive the park's big cat population will be radio-collared soon, forest department officials said.

The tiger was tranquilized on November six in Pench from where it was shifted to Panna, spread over an area of 542 sq km.

"It couldn't be radio-collared as it gained consciousness early while being carted out from the deep forests of Pench, before being shifted to Panna," Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) R S Negi said.

The tiger was under stress and will be tranquilized again once it is fit for the purpose, Negi said, adding tranquilizing twice in 90 days was harmful to the animal's health.

"The tiger in the enclosure spread over an area of one hectare in Panna will be tranquilized for radio-collaring shortly, before it is released in the wild," Panna Reserve Field Director R S Murthy said.

Two tigresses -- one from Bandhavgarh and another from Kanha -- were translocated to Panna last week and they had already being radio collared.

The tiger will be radio-collared with an imported equipment, Murthy said.

The source article can be found here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...ow/5220105.cms

Dear All,
The saga of the relocated tiger rumbles on. Sharing the recent news about it.
Sabyasachi

Translocated tiger moves out of MP's Panna reserve

PTI 6 December 2009, 07:52am IST
BHOPAL: The tiger brought to mate with two felines translocated to revive the big cat population in Madhya Pradesh's Panna Tiger Reserve has moved out of the reserve.

"The tiger translocated to Panna last month from Pench Tiger Reserve - both situated in eastern Madhya Pradesh - moved out of the reserve a week ago," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) R S Negi told PTI today.

"The tiger has moved to the Damoh Forest Division, 35 - 40 km away from the reserve," he said, adding it was not a serious matter.

He said the tiger cannot be confined in the reserve given that it has not yet formed its territory and the place was new for the animal.

Negi said they were not getting frequent signals from satellite collar fitted around the tiger.

The Panna reserve, spread over 542 sq kms, had become devoid of the endangered wild animal and three big cats were translocated there to revive their population, officials said.

Two tigresses - one of Badhavgarh National Park and another from Kanha Tiger Reserve - had been brought to Panna in March, they said.

Meanwhile, hard-pressed Panna reserve officials, led by Field Director R S Murthy and aided by modern equipment, were trying to find the exact site of the tiger, Negi said.

The source article can be found here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...ow/5306769.cms

The saga of the relocated tiger continues....The tiger has moved 150kms away from Panna. NTCA has issued an advisory to capture the tiger and put it in an enclosure to curb its homing instincts. Sharing an article that appeared in Times of India.
Sabyasachi

NTCA asks MP to keep tiger in enclosure for acclimatisation

PTI 13 December 2009, 06:25pm IST
NEW DELHI: Fearing that the strong "homing instinct" of a male striped cat, which has strayed out of the Panna Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh, will lead it to trouble, the Centre has asked the state to capture and keep it in an enclosure till it acclimatises to its new home.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in an advisory issued to the state government sought immediate tranquilising of the two-and-half-year-old tiger to be kept inside the enclosure till it is able to make its own kills before being released in forests of the reserve.

Worried about its fate, the NTCA officials have pointed out that the tiger, by straying as far as 150 km from his habitat to Damoh forest division is exhibiting strong homing instinct and could risk its life by walking into poachers or by becoming a victim of the human-animal conflict.

"For the past 15 days, the tiger is out of the national park. But the fact that it has moved as far as 150 km from the reserve is certainly a cause of worry.

"It seems the striped cat is trying to move to its original home (Pench tiger reserve) from where it was brought," a senior NTCA official added.

"Homing instinct" is the ability of an animal to perceive direction that is beyond the usual human senses and help the lost animal either to return to their home base or trail their owners.

According to a theory, this ability can be attributed to the animal's sensitivity to the earth's magnetic field.

The NTCA has also suggested the state officials to spread the scats of the two females who were relocated early this year around the cage to keep the tiger aware of their presence.

Keeping the animal in an enclosure for some period is a mandatory strategy under the relocation programme with an aim to acclimatise it with the new surroundings and curb its homing instinct.

The two females which were relocated from Pench and Bandahvgarh parks in March have taken well to the surroundings and the wildlife specialists had expected the male tiger to meet them which may result in revival of the big cats' population in the reserve spread over 542 sq kms.

The straying incident, however, has also raised questions on the seriousness of the state government's ability to protect the endangered animals in the Panna reserve where all big cats were poached by the end of last year.

In fact, the animal relocation programme by the state government was mired in controversy with wildlife experts alleging that it was done in haste without taking appropriate protection steps at the ground level.

"The tiger was brought to mate with the two felines relocated to revive the big cat population in Madhya Pradesh's Panna Tiger Reserve but it moved out of the reserve.

"Had the relocation programme been properly executed, the lone tiger would have by now established its territory. But this has not happened," wildlife expert Belinda Wright said.

The source article can be found here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...ow/5333519.cms

Found this in the newspapers today...

A young male tiger that strayed out of Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh is keeping the wildlife officials on their toes for the
past 20 days.

Though it has been localised in the forests of the Sagar district, a team of 70 personnel including Wildlife Institute of India (WII) experts, forest guards and senior officials from the state forest department are keeping their fingers crossed about its whereabouts now.

"They have put up around 3 km long white cloth on the boundaries of the forest as a deterrent measure and released some animals (as prey) to ensure that the animal remains within the range till it is trapped," MP Chief Wildlife Warden R S Negi told PTI.

The personnel are searching for the tiger with antennae to receive signals about its presence from the very high frequency system on the radio-collar around its neck.

"Fall in temperature to 12 degrees Celsius during night has made our men's task all the more difficult. Their food and daily needs are being taken care of at the possible extent. We pray that the feline should not enter human habitat or attack anyone," P R Sinha, director of the WII, added.

Officials feel that the animal which is exhibiting strong "homing instinct", could be trying to move to its original home in Pench Tiger Reserve 300 km away, from where it was brought nearly a month ago.

"Homing instinct" is the ability of an animal to perceive direction that is beyond the usual human senses and help the lost animal either to return to their home base or trail their owners.

The article may be found at http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/5360544.cms