Homesick tiger puts MP forest officials in fix - HT

It’s not another Tiger Woods joke. A homesick tiger has kept more than 100 forest officials in the woods for close to a month.

The big cat, brought to Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park from the Pench reserve 400 km away, does not like his new habitat, which includes two relocated tigresses.

And he seems to be heading back home.

Leaving wildlife scientists baffled, the tiger — tracked 24x7 through a radio collar — has crossed hills, fields, human habitations and rivers, and is now moving towards his home at Pench.

Tracking the reluctant migrant, Panna National Park field director R. Sriniwas Murthy has not gone home for four weeks. Also on the tiger’s trail are three veterinarians, five elephants and a truck to move elephants, besides local forest department officials.

The tiger was released in Panna on November 14.

He has been on the move since November 25.

On Monday, after crossing the Ken, Boarma and Sonar rivers, he was reported to be in the Nauradehi Sanctuary with only the Narmada separating him and his original home. On Wednesday, high frequency radio signals located him in Damoh district, midway between Pench and Panna.

Madhya Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden R.S. Negi said the phenomenon was difficult to fathom. “One can’t say whether the tiger knows he’s heading towards his original home,” said Negi.

The tiger has to be tranquillised and taken back to Panna but the dense foliage and tough terrain have prevented veterinarians from doing so.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Homesick-tiger-puts-MP-forest-officials-in-fix/H1-Article1-489925.aspx

Tiger in Panna to be tranquilized again for radio collaring - TOI

BHOPAL: A tiger translocated to Panna Reserve in a bid to revive the park's big cat population will be radio-collared soon.

The tiger was tranquilized on November six in Pench from where it was shifted to Panna, spread over an area of 542 sq km.

"It couldn't be radio-collared as it gained consciousness early while being carted out from the deep forests of Pench, before being shifted to Panna," Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) R S Negi said.

The tiger was under stress and will be tranquilized again once it is fit for the purpose, Negi said, adding tranquilizing twice in 90 days was harmful to the animal's health.

"The tiger in the enclosure spread over an area of one hectare in Panna will be tranquilized for radio-collaring shortly, before it is released in the wild," Panna Reserve Field Director R S Murthy said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Tiger-in-Panna-to-be-tranquilized-again-for-radio-collaring-/articleshow/5220105.cms

Panna gets a tiger from Pench

After the park lost all its tigers recently, one by one the govt is repopulating it by transferring tigers from other reserves. After two tigresses were settled in Panna, a tiger was shifted recently from the nearby Pench National park. After the controversy over relocations carried out from Ranthambore to Sariska where the tigers were found to be siblings, one hopes the govt has taken adequate care to avoid repeat of such instances.

Tiger from Pench translocated to Panna reserve

http://www.ptinews.com/news/365742_Tiger-from-Pench-translocated-to-Panna-reserve

MP govt refuses to bring in accountability as it prepares to shift another tiger to Panna

All other states have already signed the tripartite agreement with Centre & NTCA. MP being the most critical state for tiger conservation is holding out as babus fear signing the MOU will make them more accountable something they wish to avoid. With pressure being borne by centre and environmentalists it might not be long before the state falls in line. Despite having lost all its tigers in Panna state govt officials have systematically tried to cover up the disaster and shunned all attempts to hold people accountable for the disaster. After realising the need for repopulating the park two female tigresses we shifted there recently and now a male tiger inPench has been identified to be shifted there.

MP yet to sign tripartite pact for tiger conservation

http://www.ptinews.com/news/325181_MP-yet-to-sign-tripartite-pact-for-tiger-conservation

Suitable tiger found for translocated tigresses: Negi

http://www.ptinews.com/news/324476_Suitable-tiger-found-for-translocated-tigresses--Negi

Orrisa refuses to trust WII tiger count for Similipal - Orders another one

Despite two surveys by credible organisations over as many years pointing out to decline in tiger numbers in Similipal Tiger reserve, state govt of Orrisa refuses to believe the news. After the 2007 tiger census pointed out low tiger density, Chief minister Navin Patnaik himself had questioned the validity of the numbers. Now after another count conducted by WII recently found tiger population to have fallen to just 41, down from almost 100, the chief wildlife officer taking a cue from his boss has questioned the figures again. Similipal has been in news recently due to maoist problems and local mafia along with villagers having taken over the park. In fact chief minister Navin Patnaik himself had asked the centre to deploy CRPF to protect the park from being raided by poaching gangs. Now that a credible nodal body has laid bare the facts, the least state govt can do is get out of its denial mode. Our readers would remember similar denials issued by park directors of Panna in MP doomed the tigers there. One hopes a similar story is not unfolding in Similipal. The centre should push Orrisa govt to sign the tripartite agreement which will put an end to such blatant attempts at cover ups.

Orissa to recount Tigers in Similipal Tiger Reserv

http://orissadiary.com/Shownews.asp?id=14597

Male Tiger to be relocated to Panna

After two tigresses were shifted to Panna Tiger Reserve early this year a male tiger is to set to arrive to give them company. According to a PTI report, WII scientists are in search of a suitable companion from Bandhavgarh national park. Panna reserve which was estimated to have around 35 tigers a few years ago was declared having lost all its striped cats earlier. One solitary male tiger was sighted earlier this year which too was apparently killed by poachers. Panna has been a disaster of enormous proportions for wildlife in India with the park authorities continuously turning a blind eye to warning signs of poaching inside the park over the years. In fact as late as last year the park director had claimed that tigers were safe and the park had a healthy population. Shifting of tigers from other reserves is important to repopulate the park but unless the reserves are made more secure and reasons for earlier loss of tigers are identified with long term solutions in place and accountability fixed, there is no guarantee of repeats not happening. MP govt is also yet to sign the tripartite agreement with the centre and NTCA. Perhaps it is time for them to put political differences aside and work towards contributing to a national cause.

Hunt for suitable male companion for Panna tigresses

http://www.ptinews.com/news/295808_Hunt-for-suitable-male-companion-for-Panna-tigresses

Finally some one has woken up !

After the shifting of two female tigers to Panna a few months back by the state govt the centre has finally allowed Male tigers to be shifted there as 'The Hindu' post below says . One hopes the two tigresses shifted earlier have not been poached already. The environment minister Jai Ram Ramesh has thus far shown the vigour needed to get the job done to save tigers in India from extinction but state governments need to play along. Today's other news about a tripartite MOU to be signed now on between the Centre, state govt and the tiger reserve is a good step in the direction of creating an accountable and responsible system with long term needs and interests in mind.

Centre gives nod for translocation of tiger into Panna Reserve

Bhopal (PTI) The decks have been cleared for the translocation of a tiger into the Panna Tiger Reserve, with the Centre permitting the Madhya Pradesh Forest officials to go ahead with its plan to shift a big cat into this sanctuary to revive the wild cat population.

"We got permission to translocate the tiger from the Centre yesterday," Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) H.S. Pabla told PTI on Friday.

"We are going to shift the big cat either from Bandhavgarh or Kanha as both have a good number of tiger population," he said.

The PCCF said that the translocation will be done in accordance with the Centre's guidelines adding that a Wildlife Institute of India (WII) biologist will be present during the shifting process of big cat.

Mr. Pabla said that the translocation will be carried out as soon as possible, adding that field directors of Bandhavgarh and Kanha are going to be contacted soon in this regard.

In March, two tigresses from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Kanha Tiger Reserve, had been translocated to Panna, spread over 542 sq km in Panna and Chhatarpur districts in East Madhya Pradesh, where the big tiger population had become zero following poaching, according to a Special Investigation Team of National Tiger Conservation Authority recent report.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200906261414.htm