Three more tigers for Rajasthan's Sariska National Park

[Mrudul Godbole]

Three more tigers for Rajasthan's Sariska National Park
IANS | Aug 2, 2012, 12.42PM IST

JAIPUR: Spread over 866 sq km, the Sariska National Park in Rajasthan was once home to 15 tigers. Poaching reduced the number to zero till re-population began with the shifting of five tigers from another park. Now, three more of the majestic cats are to be relocated to increase their numbers to eight, an official said.

"There are at present three tigers and two tigresses in the reserve. A high-level meeting was held recently in which it was decided that at least three more tigers will be relocated to Sariska soon," a senior forest department officer told IANS.

He said the modalities of the relocation are being discussed at present.

"The relocation is being carried out to enhance the tiger population in Sariska. We are planning to bring more tigresses to the reserve," said the officer.

He added that the areas surrounding the reserve will be declared an eco-sensitive zone to provide the tigers a safe environment.

During 2004-05, the forest department and the state government faced all-round criticism over the disappearance of tigers from Sariska.

A report produced in March 2005 by the Wildlife Institute of India confirmed that there were no tigers left in the Sariska reserve at all. Poaching was found to be a reason for the dwindling tiger population.

Facing flak from different quarters, the state government decided to relocate tigers from the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan to Sariska. Five tigers from Ranthambore have been shifted to Sariska since 2008.

The Sariska Tiger Reserve, originally a hunting preserve of the erstwhile princely state of Alwar, was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955 and attained the status of a National Park in 1979.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Hoping against hope.There is a lot of disturbance caused by highway traffic and cattle grazers in and around Sariska. Recently I read about miscarriages.
Almost similar situation prevails in Shivpuri National Park caused by two NHs and visitors.Five tigers have migrated to this park but no report about breeding.
I think, if tigers having different gene pool is introduced in Sariska,there is some hope.Strong genetic factors may overcome these very odds.I do not know from where these three tigers will be translocated.Madhya Pradesh may extend help for a National cause.
Again hoping against hope.
Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Wildlife has to be removed from the ambit of states. Else, all the states will continue to play politics and stop relocation. Genetic diversity is important. We need to relocate tigers as the corridors are now lost.

Sabyasachi

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

EDITORIAL
The Statesman,Kolkata
Saturday 11 August 2012

"A RESURRECTION in the offing? That could well be the theme of a future saga scripted at Sariska~provided the thrill over the birth of the first tiger cub(s) in the re-population mission leads to a re-doubling of the effort to restore the king of the jungle to a habitat he once dominated.One cub has been photographically confirmed, the possiblity of another (may be even a third ) is predicted. It has been four-year wait and some had begun to fear that the trans-location exercise, from Ranthambhore to Sariska ,was not destined to have similar results to what had been attained in Panna.Yet, to parody the saying about " one swallow does not a summer make", the evidence that trans-located tigers have adopted Sariska as their home should encourage even more such moves.It is,perhaps, heartening that a proposal is under consideration to move a tiger from Madhya Pradesh to Sariska to diversify and strengthen the gene pool.It would,however, be silly to believe that Sariska has been rendered trouble-free: human activity in the core area has not been eliminated, traffic in the vicinity still "disturbs".And the suspicion that the park's original residents were poached to extiction still disturbs.
As information on the cubs' birth spreads there will be enhanced need of patrolling, both poachers and tourists (Sariska's proximity to national and state capitals facilitates the latter) must be kept at bay......................"

SaktiWild

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

The Statesman 15 September 2012

EYE OF THE TIGER:

"Cinematographer, producer and director Subbiah Nallamuthu has made several topnotch films and documentaries, especially the one's involving tigers. The National Film Award winning filmmaker's latest, 'Return of the Tiger', will air on BBC Entertainment in October. Only a small portion of the interview given by him to Mathures Paul (published in The Statesman 15 September 2012) is produced below for our Members and Viewers.

Q. What got you started on the series 'Return of the Tiger'?

'Return of the Tiger' is a one-off film for BBC Natural World. 'Baghini' is one of the characters I was filming during my previous film 'Tiger Queen' for National Geographic. She was thrown out of her mother's territory by her sibling. The forest department of Rajasthan decided to translocte her to Sariska National Park, which has lost its entire tiger population to poaching.
This was was going to be the first scientific translocation of tigers. We all knew that it is going to be a challenge. I felt a connection to 'Baghini'- I had seen this timid tigress to grow and was keen to see how she would adapt to a new territory and if she'd be able to make her mark there. Her mother, by the way, is the legendry tigress queen of Ranthambhore who has reared five litters. How will this docile daughter of the fierce queen 'Machli' face the many challenges that she would encounter and as we all secretly hoped, start a dynasty of tigers in Sariska. Intuitively I felt that the story was unique and "character based" and I am a great believer in the magic of storytelling. So the grounds for 'Return of Tiger' was laid two years back.
................

Q.Did circumstances, by any chance, make 'Baghini' extremely protective and at the same time wild?

A tiger is a tiger; it is a creature of the wild. But yes she was a shy, reclusive tiger as far as tigers go. After a few months in Sariska, she became more confident and began interacting with her mate. When her mate was killed due to poisoning by villagers, who were trying to protect their buffaloes, she lost hope and was found crying for three days while she searched for her mate. These emotions are so human and we can more or less identify with them even though she is a wild animal.
.....................

Q.Why has not been any cubs been produced in Sariska?

A tigress has to feel secure before she can bear cubs. Being translocated to unfamiliar, possibly hostile territory could have been a hindrance to 'Baghini' becoming pregnant. There is, however, some good news on this front- recently 'Baghini' has delivered cubs- happily she must be feeling more settled in Sariska. We can loo forward to establishment of a new dynasty of tigers in Sariska.
.................. 'Return of the Tiger' premieres on 3 October 2012 on BBC Entertainment

mathures paul "


Note:
In some places, the name of the tigress has been stated as 'Baghani', while at others it is mentioned as 'Baghini'. I have uniformly used the name 'Baghini'.

SaktiWild

[Mrudul Godbole]

Sariska set to get three more tigers
Anindo Dey, TNN | Oct 11, 2012, 06.13AM IST

JAIPUR: With the Sariska tiger translocation project bearing fruit in the form of two cubs, the stage is set for Sariska to get three more tigers. In fact, the second phase of the translocation will see the forest department trying to introduce fresh blood into the 866 sq km forest.

"Plans have been finalized for the shifting of three big cats to Sariska. One of the tigress will be from Ranthambore and two more (one male and one female) will be relocated from outside the state. It could either be from Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra and we are talking to both the states," says V S Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forest, government of Rajasthan.

The optimism of the forest department in taking the experiment forward stems from the recent sighting of not just one but two cubs last month, nearly four years after the first translocation of male tiger ST1 was done in Sariska. That was on a rainy June morning in 2008.

But the joy was shortlived. In the backdrop of numerous controversies on the experiment that began gaining ground, the tigers failed to bring in a litter despite numerous occasion when they were seen mating. This at a time when the Panna tiger reserve, that aped the Sariska experiment, was bursting with cubs. The big jolt came one November morning in 2010 when ST1 was poisoned by villagers.

The forests department then relocated a male tiger that had strayed away into Bharatpur from the Ranthambore tiger reserve, taking the total count of big cats once again to five — two males and three females.

"We have identified the tigress that will be brought from Ranthambore. Currently the tigress is with her cubs but soon the cubs will become sub-adults and go their way. That is when we plan to bring her into Sariska. In fact, the National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA) has already given an in-principle nod for it," added V S Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forest, government of Rajasthan.

On the tiger to be brought from outside, A C Chaubey, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, revealed, "There was a meeting last month in Delhi with officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA )and Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Both the bodies were apprised of the plan. At least one tigress will be brought from Madhya Pradesh. But there will be a study done by WII to see if the tigers are compatible before they are actually brought in."

However, cynics already see the move as a confused step. "Initially the forest department had expressed opinions of wanting to keep the Ranthambore breed of tigers pure. Why the sudden change in plans? Moreover, just two cubs may be too early to call the experiment a success. But it is not just numbers... what about making the habitat safer for tigers. Just last month there was an incident of a leopard being poached in Sariska. Added to that there has been little effort in relocating more villages or even curbing traffic on the roads that skirt the reserve. The forest department should first initiate these then take the experiment forward," conservationists felt.

[Murugan Anantharaman]

I hope they survive the relocation. In the absence of carnivoures the biodiversity of a place changes. Though it may seem that the tigers would have ample prey and space that may not actually be the case. The natural equilibrium of a jungle needs all stakeholders to be present to be maintained well. Lets hope for the best.

I remember reading an story by Sabyasachi ( in Indiawilds) where in he had visited Sariska with a friend and how the guides were fooling about the presence of a tiger. He also mentioned that they could not really notice a lot of herbivoures also. Once the balance is disturbed very difficult to get it back. Lets hope for the best.