The Chhattisgarh government is considering bringing in tigers from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and releasing them in Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR) and Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary in the state, an official said on Tuesday.
A proposal in this regard was approved in a meeting of the state's Wildlife Board chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at his official residence here on Monday, the official from the state public relations department said. The proposal was submitted by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), an inter-governmental international body working exclusively for conservation of tigers, he said.
The tiger augmentation plan aims to bring big cats from Madhya Pradesh and release them in ATR in Mungeli district, which shares a border with Kanha Tiger Reserve of the neighbouring state, he said. Water sources and grasslands have been developed to increase the population of herbivorous animals, which serve as a prey base in tiger reserves, the official said.
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According to forest officials, Achanakmar was recognised as a tiger reserve in 2009 and before that the population of tigers there was 27. As per the 2010 census, the number dropped to 18 and it further declined to 12 in 2011, they said. While there is no exact record of the big cat population in ATR at present, five to six tigers have been spotted in tracking cameras, officials said.
In the meeting, in-principle consent was also given to a proposal to reintroduce big cats in Barnawapara Sanctuary of Balodabazar district, where they were last sighted in 2010, the public relations official said. Under the Tiger Reintroduction and Conservation Plan in Barnawapara, a habitat suitability report will be prepared and the plan will be launched after receiving approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), New Delhi, he said.
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The chief minister has instructed officials to expedite the development works for the protection and conservation of wild animals and promote livelihood-oriented activities in villages within the 10 km radius of forests, he said. The proposals for laying optical fibre cables and installation of mobile towers to facilitate better communication in forest areas were also approved, he added. State Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar and state wildlife board members, including Mansoor Khan, were present in the meeting.
