By Arun Pratap Singh
Ramnagar, 18 Feb: Yet another tiger will soon be relocated to Rajaji National Park from Corbett Tiger Reserve according to top forest officials. This will be the fifth tiger to be shifted to Rajaji Tiger Reserve from Corbett Tiger Reserve. Officials claimed that the Corbett administration is currently preparing for the shifting of the tiger to Rajaji National Park, aiming to revitalise the dwindling tiger population in Rajaji’s western region.
As part of tiger conservation efforts in Uttarakhand, preparations have been completed to transfer another tiger from Corbett Tiger Reserve to Rajaji National Park. This is the fifth tiger being sent from Corbett to Rajaji, which is expected to improve the declining number of tigers in the park.
Previously, the population of tigers was very low in the western part of Rajaji National Park. According to wildlife experts, this area of the park has adequate natural resources, but biodiversity was being damaged due to the lack of tigers. To address this issue, the Forest Department launched the Tiger Reintroduction Project in 2020, under which healthy tigers are being transferred from Corbett to Rajaji to increase the tiger population.
So far, four tigers have been released in Rajaji National Park under this project, consisting of two males and two females. The Forest officials claim that these felines have adapted well and are now breeding naturally. This is considered a very positive sign, according to the experts.
Forest officials also insist that this initiative will not only increase the number of tigers but also maintain environmental balance. Corbett Tiger Reserve is known for its high density of tigers, with the number of tigers increasing, which is very good news but at the same time challenging too as the rapidly rising tiger population in Corbett has sometimes led to power struggle and territorial fights between the tigers.
While Corbett Tiger Reserve, one of India’s most celebrated wildlife sanctuaries, has a high and growing tiger population, relocation is being considered crucial as it not only helps ease resource pressure in Corbett but also contributes to Rajaji’s transformation into a thriving tiger habitat.
Wildlife enthusiasts believe that the goal of this project is to increase the number of tigers in areas of Rajaji where their density is very low. They noted that the pressure on resources was increasing due to the high number of tigers in Corbett, prompting the plan to send five tigers to Rajaji. Corbett Tiger Reserve Director Saket Badola confirmed that under this project of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Government of India, four tigers have been successfully transferred so far and that they have been doing well in Rajaji. Preparations are now underway to send the last male tiger, which has been identified and marked.
