One sambhar has reached tiger reserve Palamu from Ormanjhi zoo in Ranchi on Tuesday. Seventeen more sambhars are to reach here in this tiger reserve.
Giving this information field director PTR M P Singh said, “18 sambhars are to come from zoo to this PTR. Right now one has come. The new arrival is fit and healthy. It has been brought by road. Food and water was available to this herbivore during its journey”.
Sources said transporting wild life on NH 75 is too fraught with danger as there are many so called vigilantes that get up in arms on a mere drop of hat.
On being asked as to why 18 sambhars are to be brought in here from Ormanjhi zoo Singh said the population of sambhar is dwindling. It is to be padded up. 18 sambhars will be in captivity. Their progeny will be raised and then released in this tiger reserve to further the number of prey base for the carnivores
Deputy director south PTR Mahalinga said a 15 hectare sambhar enclosure readied at an estimated cost of rupees 40 lakh is for the 18 sambhars to lead a life of captivity there where these 18 will have all the things like space, green fodder, drinking water etc and big of all safety’.
Echoing the same expression of his boss M P Singh said the children of these sambhars will be reared up and then released in the PTR.
Sources said PTR officials are too worried about any outbreak of disease here in the sambhar enclosure. PTR is exposed to domestic cattle as grazing is a non stoppable affair because of the obstinacy of the local farmers and cattle owners.Among the 18 sambhars ten will be females and eight males.
On being asked as to why only one sambhar out of 18 could be brought in PTR in the first trip to which Singh said, “In fact the zoo authorities had arranged three trucks to carry these 18 but in just one truck this lone sambhar boarded and that we brought down here.”
Giving an impression Singh said sambhars have been given time and choice to board the waiting trucks for them and there is no coercion at all on them.
Sources said tiger population is set to increase if there is a strong prey base, safety and water and a good habitat for them.