60 Cameras installed to track roaming Tigress:Tigress outsmarts 50 forest personnel for 25 days before army airlifts it safely to Rajasthan

In a major wildlife operation, tigress PN-224 was moved by air from Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. The transfer took place on December 21 at 5:30 pm using an Indian Air Force helicopter. The two reserves are about 600 kilometres apart. This is the first time a tiger has been air-translocated between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The operation was done to strengthen the tiger population and genetic diversity in Rajasthan. It took 25 days of continuous effort by forest officials. PN-224 had separated from her mother and was setting up her own territory in Pench. During this period, she managed to avoid a 50-member forest team for several days. Finally, eight elephant squads were used to track and surround the tigress. After she was safely tranquilised, officials carried out the air transfer. Rajneesh Kumar Singh, Deputy Director of Pench Tiger Reserve, shared details of the entire operation with Dainik Bhaskar. Read the report… PN-230 was included in the list after the radio collar broke
Deputy Director Rajneesh Kumar Singh said- The Pench administration, according to the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), identified two-three tigresses aged 2 to 3 years, recently separated from their mothers, and establishing their own territories. From November 28, a joint team from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan began searching for the tigress in the jungle, which involved 60 trap cameras, 8 elephant teams, and 50 field staff working from 6 AM until dark. On December 5, the location of tigress PN-224 was found. She was tranquilized and a radio collar was fitted. But the collar fell off and the tigress disappeared again. After a few days’ break in the operation, the team intensified the search from December 12. On December 20, the tigress’s location was found, but she was very cautious and aggressive. She evaded the team until evening. After PN-224’s radio collar broke, another tigress, PN-230, was also placed on the selection list. However, after discussions between forest officials of both states, it was finally decided to translocate PN-224. Caught using elephants and tracking technology
Deputy Director Rajneesh Kumar Singh said- The next day, on December 21, under a new plan, the tigress was surrounded with the help of a team of 8 elephants. During this, the team made full use of vigilance and technical skill because the tiger’s territory was in dense forests, ravines, and rugged hills, where the animal hides itself and it is difficult to track its movement without technology. The Pench administration safely tranquilized the tigress using elephants and tracking technology efficiently throughout this entire process. After this, she was placed in a safe cage and brought to Suktara airstrip by a rescue vehicle. Sent to Rajasthan by MI-17 Helicopter
To safely transport the tigress in a short time to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi, Rajasthan, approximately 600 km from Pench Tiger Reserve, the Indian Air Force’s MI-17 helicopter was used. Around 6 PM, the tigress was dispatched by helicopter to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve. On Sunday night at 10:30 PM, an army helicopter carrying tigress PN-224 reached Jaipur Airport. Rajasthan’s team had been camping in Pench for 8 days
According to forest officials, tigress PN-224 was born in Pench Tiger Reserve. She is a young and healthy tigress, who is considered most suitable for improving the breed of tigers in Rajasthan and increasing genetic diversity. Excellent coordination was observed between the forest departments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan throughout this entire campaign. Rajasthan’s Chief Conservator of Forests Suganaram Jat and veterinary doctor Dr. Tejinder were camped in Pench from 8 days before the translocation. The operation was completed under the guidance of Pench Tiger Reserve’s Field Director Devprasad J and Deputy Director Rajneesh Kumar Singh. Monitoring underway in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve
Tigress PN-224 has been kept in a soft enclosure at Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi. A team is monitoring the tigress 24 hours a day. How she adjusts to the new environment, what her health status is, what her behavior is like… everything is being monitored. If all parameters are fine, she will be released from the soft enclosure to a hard enclosure after some time.