management of Kanha Tiger Reserve, has translocated tigress ‘Sundari’ which was kept in Ghorela Bagh Bada, to Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal, on Wednesday afternoon.

Veterinarians and officers from Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserve tranquilized the tigress and examined her health with essential details.

All these activities were performed under the guidance of Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve S K Singh. It may be mentioned that the Tiger Relocation Project was initiated in 2018 wherein a tigress was relocated from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha to enhance tiger population in the State.

After a few untoward incidents at Satkosia, the tigress was kept under fence for two years at Satkosia to ensure safety of local residents.

Later, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), New Delhi, Government of India, after review, cancelled Tiger Relocation Programme and issued instructions to call back relocated tigress from Satkosia.

A petition numbered 10922/2020 was filed in Madhya Pradesh High Court. The MP High Court on November 4, 2020, ordered to re-train tigress to lead life in the wild at Kanha Tiger Reserve, Mandla. The tigress was taken back from Satkosia on March 24, 2021, and kept at Ghorela Bagh Bada under Mukki zone at Kanha Tiger Reserve to train her for relocation in forest area.

Though the tigress, Sundari adopted hunting tendency but it was not safe to leave her in the open forest because of her tendency to go close to humans. Hence, the Chief Conservator Wildlife, MP Bhopal ordered to translocate the tigress to Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal.