The Pioneer, 13-01-2011
VIVEK TRIVEDI
BHOPAL

First release them in Phen sanctuary, says NTCA
In a major setback to the State I Forest Department plans of translocating two Kanha tigresses to the Panna Tiger Reserve, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has said that the two striped felines should be released in the core area of the Phen sanctuary, before considering their relocation to Panna.

In a letter to Chief Wild Life Warden (CWLW) Madhya Pradesh, HS Pabla, the NTCA Deputy Inspector General SP Yadav has said that it would be appropriate to initially release the two-orphaned tigresses in the micro core area at Phen with radio telemetry monitoring.
Significantly the sanctuary is situated in the vicinity of the Kanha Tiger Reserve.

Yadav directed that the tigresses could be moved to Phen after due permission from the competent authority. "After their wilding, these felines may be considered for translocation to the Panna Tiger Reserve, ” he advised.

The NTCA directives are likely to enthuse wildlife activists who have long been questioning the translocation endeavours of the Forest Department, and also the methodology of the process.

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