Tigress Jamuna settles into Similipal with successful hunt, conservation hopes rise

Bhubaneswar, Oct 31: Officials at the Similipal Tiger Reserve on Thursday said that Jamuna, a tigress recently relocated from Maharashtra, is in good health and has successfully hunted a pig within her enclosure. The two-and-a-half-year-old tigress was transferred from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and placed in a soft enclosure in Similipal, located in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, on October 28.

According to Similipal’s Field Director, Prakash Chand Gogineni, Jamuna appears calm and active, showing signs of good health. Her successful hunt within the enclosure suggests she is adapting well. Forest officials are hopeful that her presence will strengthen genetic diversity in Similipal’s tiger population, especially with the reserve’s unique melanistic (black) tigers.

Jamuna will remain under observation in her enclosure for another one to two weeks before her release. Another tiger from Tadoba is expected to join Similipal soon, contributing further to conservation efforts. With Jamuna’s arrival, Odisha’s tiger population has reached 31, with 28 residing in Similipal.