Two tigresses from Madhya Pradesh on their way to Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Dec 26: Odisha is preparing to welcome two tigresses from Madhya Pradesh as part of an animal exchange initiative aimed at bolstering the state's wildlife population. The transfer involves a total of fourteen tigers being moved from various reserves in Madhya Pradesh, including Bandhavgarh, Panna, Kanha, and Pench, to different states.

Specifically, four tigers are headed to Rajasthan, two to Odisha, and eight to Chhattisgarh, according to reports from the state Forest Department.

The costs associated with this translocation will be covered by the receiving states. Madhya Pradesh, known as the "Tiger State," currently hosts 785 of the nation’s 3,800 tigers across its six reserves. Recently, the central government also approved the establishment of two additional tiger reserves: Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhopal and Madhav National Park in Shivpuri.

In Odisha, the Forest Department's wildlife wing has developed a comprehensive project report (DPR) to gradually introduce six new tigers into the Similipal Tiger Reserve. This follows the successful relocation of two tigresses from the Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to Similipal, enhancing the genetic diversity of the resident tiger population.