To promote conservation of tigers in the forests of Northern Western Ghats, the Maharashtra forest department is all set to translocate eight tigers -- three males and five females from Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) soon. The forest department is ready to initiate the project and it is waiting to get the green signal from Union Environment Ministry for tranquillise the tigers in TATR for translocation process. “Northern Western Ghats is a key wildlife corridor between Maharashtra and Karnataka and this project is an important step towards tiger conservation,” Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Conservator of Forest and Field Director, TATR told The Hitavada. Sahyadri is the lone tiger reserve in the western region of Maharashtra. It is one of only five tiger reserves in the country -- Kaval in Telangana, Satkosia in Odisha, Dampa in Mizoram and Kamlang in Arunachal Pradesh -- which has zero tigers within the reserve.

 

“We have plans to translocate young tigers which are not involved in any man-animal conflict in TATR. The tigers will be translocated in stage wise and after getting permission from the Ministry the process of tranquillising will start,” said Dr Ramgaonkar. STR is spread in Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra. Spread over 1,165 sq km, the reserve was notified in 2010 by amalgamating the Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. This corridor allows connectivity of tiger population in Sahyadri Reserve, Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary, Amboli Reserve Forest, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary and Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. In the recent tiger census report, no evidence of tiger was captured on camera traps in Sahyadri. The report also highlighted the threats posed to the wildlife corridor between the STR and Karnataka’s forests from mining activities, road projects and human settlements.