Bhubaneswar, Sept 27: Odisha may soon receive three tigers from Madhya Pradesh under an inter-state tiger translocation programme. The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department is currently awaiting a formal request from the Odisha government before initiating the process.
Officials said the proposal could be sent to the Odisha Forest Department during the winter season. Once the state government submits its formal request, the process of identifying suitable tigers for translocation will begin.
According to L. Krishnamurthy, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF), under the inter-state tiger translocation plan, four tigers have been earmarked for Chhattisgarh, three for Odisha and one for Rajasthan.
So far, none of the three states has formally sought the tigers. Officials said the identification process will begin only after receiving requests from the respective state governments.
The tigers for translocation to Odisha are expected to be identified from the Bandhavgarh, Pench and Satpura Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh.
Odisha's Similipal and Satkosia landscapes are considered to have adequate prey availability, particularly wild boar and deer, which could support a growing tiger population. Forest and wildlife experts believe that bringing additional tigers to these habitats could contribute to strengthening the state's tiger population.
The proposed translocation comes against the backdrop of Odisha's ongoing efforts to strengthen the tiger population in Similipal and improve genetic diversity. In 2024, the Odisha Forest Department brought Yamuna, a tigress, from Maharashtra's Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and released her in Similipal. Another tigress, Zeenat, was introduced into Similipal in November 2024.
Zeenat subsequently gave birth to four cubs, raising expectations among forest officials regarding the revival and expansion of the tiger population in Similipal.
Environmentalists have now welcomed the possibility of bringing three more tigers from Madhya Pradesh, saying that the move could further support tiger conservation and population growth in Odisha, provided the animals are selected and translocated in accordance with wildlife management protocols.
