Tigress airlifted to Panna ignoring experts,guidelines

The letter,signed by NBW members Valmik Thapar,Brijendra Singh,Belinda Wright and former director,Project Tiger P K Sen,tiger scientists Raghu Chundawat and Ullas Karanth and conservationists Bittu Sahgal and Fateh Singh Rathore,says the future of translocated tigresses cannot be ensured as Panna is not safe for tigers until an inquiry clarifies what led to the local extinction of tigers from Panna.

In the face of protests from locals and conservationists from Kanha against the translocation of the established tigress,a group of conservationists on Monday filed a plea in the Jabalpur High Court. “We are protesting the non-transparency of the relocation and the breaking of the NTCA guidelines. The Chief Justice in Bhagalpur has indicated that the hearing will happen on Friday,” said Neelesh Agarwal,who is associated with the plea.

Translocating two tigresses was part of a recovery strategy for Panna. The NTCA had,however,specified that only young tigresses from outside the core area would be moved for the relocation process. On March 3,a breeding tigress was moved from Bandhavgarh’s core area and on Monday,a breeding tigress was moved from Kanha’s core area,in a clear break from the guidelines and in an apparent hurry to finish the exercise.

The four-year-old tigress was identified in the morning,tranquilised,radio-collared and shifted to an IAF helicopter,director of Kanha R P Singh told The Indian Express. He said the operation took less than one hour.

The operation in Kanha Park in Mandla district saw local elected representatives,cutting across party lines,trying to prevent the translocation. The local guides and tour operators have struck work for the last few days,demanding that the operation be called off.

“The locals are worried that if a tigress is shifted elsewhere,it may affect their livelihood due to the possible fall in the number of tourists,” said BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste.

Others opposed the operation wondering whether the tigress would be safe in Panna,where poaching is believed to be the main reason for the disappearance of the animal. The protests were restricted outside the park. No private vehicle entered the park even on Monday.