Forest dept for translocation of 50 tigers from Chandrapur

NAGPUR: Owing to rising tiger numbers and resulting man-animal conflict, Maharashtra forest department has proposed conservation translocation of 50 tigers from Chandrapur district over three years.
“We have sent a proposal in this regard to the state government. It will need approval from state wildlife board headed by chief minister before it is sent to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),” said state’s chief wildlife warden Nitin H Kakodkar.
As per the latest All India Tiger Estimation-2018, Maharashtra has 318 tigers, up from 190 in 2014. Though discussions have been going on for a few years, this is the first time that a formal proposal for translocation has been sent to the government.
Kakodkar said Chandrapur district having Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) and its buffer Bramhapuri, Central Chanda & Chandrapur divisions including CSTPS itself has 160 tigers and the number is bound to increase. This doesn’t include cubs.
Kakodkar said thouogh they had put several options like sending surplus tigers to states wanting them and translocation to areas having good prey base their priority would be to promote natural dispersal by strengthening corridors. “Another choice is to keep some tigers for proposed safaris in the state. We have also asked Gorewada Rescue Centre in the city to expand capacity to accommodate tigers as a stop-gap arrangement,” he added.
“We have rapid rescue teams (RRTs) and monitoring is being done. We are also giving subsidized solar power fencing to farmers besides plans are also afoot to install channel fencing near forested villages but unless locals, who are dependent on forest produce and fire wood collection, stop venturing into jungle, problem will persist,” said Kakodkar.
On funding the project, Kakodkar said, “Money can be had from CAMPA fund, tiger foundations, state and NTCA funds. We will implement the project in-house with technical help from Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.”
FDCM divisional manager Nandkishore Kale stated they had been asked by PCCF (wildlife) to have more tiger cages. “We have 10 cages now of which eight are occupied. We will need Rs 6 crore to construct another ten. We need new cages for other animals like leopards, monkeys and sloth bear too,” he said.
Eco-Pro president Bandu Dhotre, who pushed the demand for translocation, said, “Due to habitat destruction, tigers are forced to occupy scrub forest areas. Tigresses are breeding even in power plant campus. In 2019, 24 people died in tiger and leopard attacks in Chandrapur district alone.”
“Undoubtedly the biggest draw has always been the tigers of TATR. The tiger population in Tadoba is connected to other tiger populations in surrounding forests through the forests of Chandrapur-Gadchiroli districts. It is imperative to translocate tigers elsewhere to control numbers in Chandrapur and conserve them in other landscapes where numbers are scarce,” Dhotre said.