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Jaipur: In a groundbreaking conservation effort, Rajasthan's first-ever tiger rewilding project is approaching its final stage as two orphaned cubs have demonstrated remarkable hunting abilities in their controlled environments.The Forest Department has sought final approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to release the tigers into the wild. The cubs, who lost their mother, tigress T-114, in Nov 2022 when they were just two-and-a-half months old, have shown exceptional progress in their rehabilitation journey.After 22 months of careful nurturing at Abheda Biological Park, the siblings were separated and relocated in Dec 2024. The female, now designated as MT-7, was moved to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, while her brother was transferred to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve. Each tiger currently occupies a five-hectare enclosure within their respective reserves.Both tigers have demonstrated impressive hunting skills. The female in Mukundra has made over 45 successful kills and her brother in Ramgarh shows similar prowess. According to rewilding protocols, the tigers will be eligible for release once they achieve 50 kills each, a milestone they are rapidly approaching.A senior forest official said, "Two orphaned tiger cubs relocated from Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve are now thriving in the wild under the state's first rewilding project and are on the verge of delivering successful results. Once permission is received, they will be released. This will mark the first rewilding project of tiger cubs in Rajasthan. The cubs are nearly 27 months old and will be released in accordance with protocol."This project marks uncharted territory for Rajasthan's forest department. While they have experience with orphaned cubs, those cases involved raising tigers in the wild rather than in captivity. "The current challenge lies in determining the optimal timing for releasing captivity-raised cubs into the open forest," explained a committee member.
Ramnagar: (Uttarakhand): The tiger population is rising consistently in the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the forest fringes around it. These days, many tigresses are sighted frequently with their cubs roaming in the forests. This is a big achievement for the forest department but poses a serious challenge, as well. Tigers increased in Corbett and Forest Division: There are more than 260 adult tigers in the Corbett Tiger Reserve at present. Cubs less than two years of age are not included in this count. Apart from this, according to the last All India Tiger Estimation Report, the presence of 67 ...Read More >
BENGALURU: The death of two 10-day-old tiger cubs and the disappearance of their mother for the past two days in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), 227 km from Bengaluru, has alarmed the forest department and the conservation community. On Monday, a forest foot-patrol team found a dead cub near Kirubanakallagudda in the Holemurdatti range of CWS. The following day, another cub was found dead a few metres away. The carcasses, a male and a female, were estimated to be at least three days old. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) PC Ray said postmortem examination revealed that ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Concerns have been raised following the report of another tigress' death in Karnataka on Saturday, coming close on the heels of the shocking incident involving the death of a tigress and her four cubs. According to forest officials, the latest death has been reported from the Gundre Forest Range in Bandipur, located in Chamarajanagar district. Authorities, based on preliminary investigation, have stated that the tigress, estimated to be between 4 and 5 years old, appears to have died of natural causes. However, the post-mortem report is awaited for confirmation. The carcass was d ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Zeenat, the three-year-old tigress from Maharashtra brought to Odisha's Similipal last year under translocation project, is believed to be pregnant after mating with a melanistic male tiger named T-12 Mahabal in May this year. If her pregnancy is confirmed, Zeenat would deliver cubs around August or September this year, said Prem Kumar Jha, Odisha's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). Love blossomed after Zeenat was released into the wild in April this year. She made the forests between Yamunagarh and Gudugudia in Similipal her new home. In May, she came across a r ...Read More >
Bengaluru: In an incident of concern, the unnatural death of a tigress and her three cubs, probably due to poisoning, came to light in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district on Thursday. Addressing media persons in Bengaluru, Forests, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre announced that an investigation has been ordered into the incident and officials have been directed to submit a detailed report within three days. The probe will be conducted by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). "Karnataka stands second in the count ...Read More >
Mysuru: A tragic incident has unfolded at the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar, where a mother tiger and her four cubs were found dead under suspicious circumstances near the Hoogyam forest range. In response to the tragedy, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has called for a comprehensive investigation. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) will oversee the inquiry, and the minister has requested a detailed report to be submitted promptly. He has also emphasized that strict action will be taken if any negligence by forest staff is found. Top forest of ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre and Rajasthan governments over the reported plan to redraw the boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve for the reactivation of over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be "ecologically devastating". The opposition party also said that with the Rajasthan and Union environment ministers both being from Alwar, this "double engine" cannot be supporting such a move. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which claimed that a plan to redraw the boundaries of Rajasthan's ...Read More >
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the state police on Tuesday said it has arrested two accused wanted in several bomb blasts and communal murder cases after being on the run for over 25 years. The key accused among the two is Abubacker Siddique of Nagore. He is allegedly involved in the attempt to plant a pipe-bomb during the rath yatra of former home minister LK Advani in Madurai in 2011, among others. Other cases he is allegedly involved include the bomb blast at Hindu Munnani office in 1995 in Chennai, an explosion in Nagore the same year, and coordinated planting of bo ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A heartening chapter is unfolding deep within the emerald wilderness of Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, where a Royal Bengal tigress named Zeenat, originally from Maharashtra, is believed to be carrying a new generation of cubs -- a milestone that could reshape the future of the region's famed tiger population. Brought to Similipal in 2023 as part of a bold genetic diversification project, Zeenat was tasked with an extraordinary mission: to infuse new bloodlines into a population long shadowed by the risks of inbreeding, particularly among Similipal's rare melanistic (black-co ...Read More >
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Apr 2 (PTI) A probe has been ordered into the death of a tigress which was hit by a train in the Dudhwa buffer zone, officials said on Thursday. The tigress, which was estimated to be five to six years old, was found dead near the Bankeyganj-Mailani railway track in Mailani range of the Dudhwa buffer zone. After the postmortem, Dudhwa buffer zone officials instituted an investigation into its death. Dudhwa buffer zone Deputy Director Kirti Chaudhary told PTI that "investigation is in progress to identify the train by which the accident was caused and also to ascertain ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 27 (PTI) The discovery of a seemingly stale carcass of a cow in Hugyam forest range in Mahadeshwara Hills on Friday strengthens the doubt that the death of a tigress and her four cubs could be due to poisoning, officials said. These five tigers were found dead in this forest on Thursday. It is suspected that the miscreants had poisoned the cow, and after eating it, the tigress and its cubs might have died. "Either the bovine was poisoned before being left in the forest, or the owner of the cattle, after spotting the dead cow, would have spread poison on its body, which the ti ...Read More >
Karnataka: With a steady increase in the tiger population at the Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka's Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed officials to begin the process of declaring the region a tiger reserve. He emphasized the need to first collect public opinion from the local communities before proceeding with formal proposals. Chairing a high-level meeting with senior forest officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, at Vikasa Soudha today, Minister Khandre instructed the depar ...Read More >
Koraput: The tiger census has commenced in the Koraput range, covering ten identified areas as part of the wildlife monitoring exercise. The census operation, which began today, will continue until December 21. According to forest department sources, ten dedicated units have been deployed across ten locations within the Koraput range to carry out the census. The exercise is being conducted in forest areas including Dongri, Ranigad, Koraput-1, Koraput Sadar, and Magara, among others. The census is being carried out with the active participation of foresters, forest guards, and members of the ...Read More >
Jaipur, Jun 5 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday launched the 'Vande Ganga: Jal Sanrakshan Jan Abhiyan', a water conservation campaign, on the occasion of World Environment Day and Ganga Dussehra. He called for collective efforts to conserve nature and make Rajasthan self-reliant in water, according to a statement. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, Here's All About BJD Leader With Whom Mahua Moitra Reportedly Married. Addressing a public gathering during a 'Shramdaan' (voluntary labour) programme at the Ramgarh Dam site, ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Following the poisoning of five tigers at MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, forest minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday ordered an audit of tiger mortality in various tiger reserves (national parks) and wildlife sanctuaries of Karnataka. Delving into the activities of the wildlife wing, shortly after sending errant forest officials of MM Hills sanctuary on compulsory leave, the minister sought within 10 days a complete review of tiger deaths over the past five and a half years.As per the All-India Tiger Estimation report of 2022, Karnataka stood second in the country in tiger population, w ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Forest minister Eshwar Khandre's decision to initiate a departmental inquiry into the recent unnatural death of a leopard in the MM Hills wildlife sanctuary has triggered hopes among conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts about uncovering the truth behind such incidents.In the most recent case, the carcass of the big cat was found mutilated last month.Recollecting similar incidents in the past few years, the activists suspect an organised nexus of poachers could be behind such wildlife crime.A few days before the June 26 death of five tigers in the Hoogyam forest range of MM Hill ...Read More >
Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru district has witnessed increasing tiger disturbances across several taluks, prompting the Forest Department to intensify operations. Between Oct. 12 and Nov. 30, officials successfully captured a total of 22 tigers, including 12 cubs, as part of measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Every year, from September to December, tigresses give birth and seek shelter along forest fringes, often near villages, tanks and fields. During this period, they become highly protective of their cubs, frequently attacking livestock and occasionally humans, leading to a sharp rise i ...Read More >
RANCHI/SILLI/PURULIA/KOLKATA: "Bhagwan Krishna ne aaj bacha liya (Lord Krishna has saved us today)," said farmer Puran Chand Mahto (55) of Mardu village in Ranchi district's Silli block, still unable to believe his luck at being alive to tell the tale of how he and his family - his three daughters and a relative, who is a minor - slept peacefully while a tiger silently crouched in a corner of the same room.Around 4.30am Wednesday, Puran was getting ready for the day. As he stepped out of his thre ...Read More >
Bengaluru, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said an investigation has been launched into the death of a tigress and its four cubs in the state's Chamarajanagar district, and necessary orders have already been issued, even as two suspects have been held for questioning. Sources said that the authorities have taken two persons into custody on Friday and are questioning them in connection with the incident. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, CM Siddaramaiah said that appropriate action would be taken once the investigation report is submitted. Minister ...Read More >
Puri: Despite travel uncertainties due to recent conflicts in some parts of the world, people from Europe and elsewhere have reached Puri to witness the annual Ratha Yatra of the sibling deities.As non-Hindus are not allowed inside the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, the Ratha Yatra provides a rare opportunity for devotees across the world to see the deities in their full glory atop their majestic wooden chariots."Back home, we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear. But here, I found peace. I came because this is my only chance to see Lord Jagannath. He comes out for the whole world. This is v ...Read More >
Pune: Passengers on board a Goa to Pune SpiceJet flight (SG-1080) had a scare on Tuesday evening when a window panel was found dislodged while the plane was mid-air.The airline played down the incident, saying the window part that had come off was "a non-structural trim component, fitted onto the window for the purpose of shade".But a person on board the plane -- a Bombardier Q400 -- told TOI the incident triggered anxiety among the passengers. "Two to three layers of the window panel just came off," said Aatish Mishra, the passenger."There was no depressurization, but this shouldn't have happ ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) The Environment Ministry has strongly rejected allegations by forest rights groups that it is attempting to "subvert" the Forest Rights Act (FRA), calling them a "gross misunderstanding of facts" and asserting that it remains committed to both environmental protection and the welfare of forest-dependent communities. In a recent letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 90 forest rights organisations had accused the ministry of trying to undermine the FRA and demanded that Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav clarify his reported statement that the "FRA leads to ...Read More >
Bhopal, July 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a poignant development from Kuno National Park, a Namibian female cheetah named 'Nabha' has died following injuries sustained during a hunting attempt within her 'Soft Release Boma'. Boma refers to an enclosure, particularly in East and Southern Africa. She was among the 20 Cheetahs who were transported from Namibia in the second phase of India's ambitious 'Cheetah Reintroduction Project' in two batches on September 17, 2022 and February 2023. The 8-year-old cheetah had been under medical care for a week after suffering severe fractures in both the ulna an ...Read More >
A sub-adult tiger spotted moving between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh has prompted wildlife authorities to explore the possibility of developing Ratanmahal in Dahod as a tiger sanctuary as part of the Union govt's Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project. The three-year-old male tiger, first sighted near Gujarat border in Feb, has been frequently captured on camera traps in Ratanmahal's core area since late May. This marks the second tiger sighting in the region within six years. A National Tig ...Read More >
Rishikesh, Feb 3 (PTI) The compilation of data for the tiger census in Uttarakhand's Ramnagar Forest Division, adjoining the Corbett Tiger Reserve, is in its final stages, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Digant Nayak said. The collected data is being compiled into a database, which will be sent to the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand, he said. In the 2022 tiger census, 67 tigers were recorded in the Ramnagar Forest Division -- the highest number reported in any forest division outside a designated tiger reserve in the country, he added. The latest census figures will be released soon, a ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Nandankanan Zoological Park on Saturday night welcomed two tiger cubs born to white tigress Mousumi, marking a significant milestone in the zoo's conservation breeding programme. The cubs were born in enclosure 28 (B), with the first delivery at 9.15 pm and the second at 11.30 pm.As per initial observations, one cub appeared to be normal in colour while the other was white, though their sex remains undetermined. The cubs are the result of successful mating in late Feb between Mousumi and Rajesh, a normal-coloured tiger.Both parent tigers were born at Nandankanan, with Mousumi born ...Read More >
India has launched an investigation after an endangered tigress and her four cubs were found dead in a protected forest in the southern state of Karnataka, an official said Friday. State forest minister Eshwar Khandre said the "unnatural" deaths were "extremely tragic and distressing" and that an investigation team had been formed. Local media reports said forest officials suspected poisoning. The tigress had reportedly killed a cow days earlier, and poison may have been laced into the carcass ...Read More >
The accused are also involved in illegal opium cultivation, an official said (Representational) A radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned to death, following which five persons were arrested on Saturday, Madhya Pradesh police said. The tiger's body was found buried in a pit in West Chhindwara division revenue area on Friday, the official said. "The tiger was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria in December 2004. It had formed its territory outside the reserve. Five persons have ...Read More >
Further investigation is underway, say officials. (Representational) Lakhimpur Kheri: A tigress was killed after being hit by a train near the Bhikhampur halt in Dudhwa National Park's buffer zone, forest officials said on Wednesday. The carcass of a tigress, estimated to be around five to six years old, was recovered by patrolling teams in the Mailani range, Dudhwa buffer zone Deputy Director Kirti Chaudhary told PTI. "On Wednesday morning, patrolling teams found the mutilated carcass near t ...Read More >
BHOPAL: Revenge was not the reason for killing the rewilded, radio-collared tiger in the forests of Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. The killers of the big cat were illegal opium cultivators who wanted to keep forest patrol teams and officials away from their illegal farming activities.Increased presence of the forest team that tracked the tiger movement through its radio-collar was proving to be a cause of concern for the accused, said investigators.The tiger, around four-and-a-half years old, was released into the wild in Dec 2024 after it was moved from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to Sa ...Read More >