Context

A tigress which was translocated to Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha from Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) in Madhya Pradesh has been returned back to MP as translocation project fails.

About

• It was the first inter-state tiger relocation project held 3 years back.
• The tiger relocation project was initiated in 2018 wherein two big cats, a male (Mahavir) from Kanha Tiger Reserve and a female (Sundari) from Bandhavgarh from Madhya Pradesh were relocated to Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha.
• The mains aim was to shore up the tiger population in the state.
• The translocation project was as per the NTCA guidelines and in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India and the Government of India.
  

The relocation was meant to serve two purposes: Reducing tiger population in areas with excess tigers to majorly reduce territorial disputes. To reintroduce tigers in areas where the population has considerably reduced due to various reasons.

 Satkosia Tiger Reserve and why was it chosen?

• Satkosia Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve located in the Angul district of
• It was designated in 2007, and comprises the Satkosia Gorge Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It is located where the Mahanadi River passes through a 22 km long gorge in the Eastern Ghats Mountains.
• The tiger reserve is located in the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests ecoregion.
• Mammals found include the leopard, indian wild dog or the (dhole), wild boars, striped hyena, sloth bear, leopard cat and the jungle cat.
• Satkosia falls under reserves where “there is a potential for increasing tiger populations”.
• The purpose of the relocation was to repopulate tigers in the reserve areas.

Why did the project fail?

• Lack of confidence and trust building between the forest department and the villagers.
• Their proximity to human habitations which are in abundance even close to the core area in Satkosia could have led to the human-animal conflict.
• Capacity for tiger monitoring was poor.

The local communities were not taken into confidence nor conveyed the benefits from tourism that tigers could bring them.