The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has held the Odisha Government guilty of failing to ensure safe habitat to the two translocated big cats in Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) - one of them was lost to poaching while other had to be 'caged' because of protests from the locals in the State. The tigers, Mahaveer and Sundari ,were shifted from the wilds of Madhya Pradesh last year.
While the top tiger conservation body has suspended the re-introduction programme in the STR till the habitat is made conducive again for the predators, it has also decided to withdraw the tigress T-2, also called Sundari, kept in the enclosure in Satkosia habitat for the last one year. It was the country's first inter-State tiger translocation, which was initiated in 2018.
"The tigress will be brought to Ghorela centre at Kanha Tiger Reserve in MP, with immediate effect and will be re-wilded for subsequent release to suitable habitat," said Anup Nayak, additional director general (Project Tiger) of NTCA.
A panel formed by the NTCA to assess the tiger augmentation programme in the STR had found that the State Government had failed to adhere to the protocol as well as the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 while implementing the `18 crore-reintroduction plan
Headed by Khageshwar Naik, retired CCF and ex-field director of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, MP, the panel in its report pointed out various irregularities and financial mismanagement while implementing the country's first inter-state translocation project.
For instance, said the panel, while translocating and after translocation, both the animals were not monitored and managed as per the NTCA protocol.
"The tigress T-2 brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to STR was captured without following due process laid down by the NTCA and relevant provision of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
"Further the tigress has been kept in a small enclosure for more than one year without any effort to re-wild the same as per protocol," said the panel.
Not only SOPs were violated but funds meant for the safety of the translocated tigers too were diverted from specified activities without authorisation from the NTCA. Further even after substantial fund release, the project has not shown any significant input.
Also, pre-requisite condition for reintroduction of the big cats in STR ie prey augmentation, creation of inviolate space, eco-development, capacity building of staff and enhacement of protection could not be achieved inspite of sufficient fund availability and technical support to the habitat, said the report.