Alwar : Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan is set to be rehabilitated after 11 years. Here, shifting of tigers and tigresses was started from 2018. In the last six years, two tigers including their cubs have gone missing. 3 have died. Now the 22-month-old female cub living in Abheda Biological Park was released in the reserve on Wednesday. After this, two tigresses will be brought from Madhya Pradesh and released here. Experts say that Mukundhara will not be able to be populated by releasing one tiger and one tigress. Unless there are tigers and tigresses in the right proportion. There will be no mutual conflict between them. Neither their family will grow nor will they like this place. In such a situation, efforts will have to be made like Sariska and Kuno (Madhya Pradesh) to make Mukundara a home for tigers. After all, why could Mukundara not be settled even in 6 years? Why are tigers not able to live here? Read the answers to such questions in this report…
Two tigers cannot create territory
Wildlife expert Dr. Sudhir Gupta says – Mukundara will not be populated unless tigers are brought in the right number and in the right proportion. Leaving one or two tigers will not increase the tiger population in the reserve. Nor will he be able to create his own territory. Tigers will not like this. If we look at the events of the past few days, the male tiger of Mukundara had crossed the Chambal river thrice and reached Begun in Chittorgarh. His frequent wanderings are proof that he is unable to find a companion. This situation will continue until tigers are brought here in the right number and proportion. To increase the population of tigers in the tiger reserve, it is necessary to bring tigers in the ratio of 2 males, 5 females (2:5). The tiger reserve has no future with 1 couple.
No mature couple for mating
Dr. Gupta told that there is currently a male tiger in Mukundara. The second female tiger is still young. This couple is not mature in terms of mating. One more female cub from Abheda Biological Park (Kota) is to be released into the reserve. For now, he will be kept in enclosure for 8-10 months. After becoming familiar with the ways of the jungle, he will be released into the open. She too will not be mature for mating for one and a half years. Due to this their ratio will not be correct.
Tigers will have to tease like Sariska and Kuno
The expert said that to increase the tiger clan in Mukundara, work will have to be done like Sariska and Kuno. When there were no tigers left in Sariska, one after the other, many tigers and tigresses were released here. The result was that within 5 years the Sariska Tiger Reserve was completely populated. The same was done in Kuno. A large number of leopards were brought here. Some of them died and some settled. Those who survived expanded their clan. Today there is a good number of leopards in Kuno.
Sariska: By 2006, the Sariska Tiger Reserve was devoid of tigers. The process of tiger resettlement was started in 2008. Till the year 2018, more than 10 tigers were brought here from Ranthambore and released back-to-back. After this, tiger mating started in the reserve. Then the number of tigers started increasing due to the birth of cubs. In just 5 years the number of tigers here reached 42. The only reason for this was that the number of tigers and tigresses was exactly as per their territory and their behaviour.
Kuno: In the first round, 12 leopards were brought and in the second round, 8 leopards were settled in Kuno. As time passed, reports of death of leopards started coming. Within no time 8 leopards died. Only 12 leopards were left in Kuno. But the number of remaining leopards was in such proportion that gradually the number of cubs started increasing. Today the number of leopards in Kuno has increased to around 24.
As tigers increased in Ranthambore, the territory became smaller.
Dr. Sudhir Gupta explains – In an ideal situation, a tiger makes its territory in 30 square kilometers. As the number of tigers increased in Ranthambore, the territory of the tiger started becoming smaller. As the numbers increased, tigers started creating small territories. The size of the territory reduced from 30 square kilometers to about 15 square kilometers. At present the reserve (space) has started getting smaller in terms of numbers. Tigers are easily visible. Incidents of mutual conflict started coming to light in Tiger. For this reason, the numbers in Ranthambore have not been increasing as expected in the last few years. Tigers are wandering in search of territory or fighting among themselves.
Claim: Mukundara is the best, but the method of Tiger shifting is wrong
Dr. Gupta told that Mukundara Reserve is adjacent to Ranthambore. Two separate corridors have been built from Ranthambore to Mukundhra via Ramgarh Century and Indergarh. Tigers of Ranthambore have been coming to this corridor. The environment and climate here is best for the tiger. The number of tigers can increase rapidly here. The method adopted till now was an attempt to establish a small population. When there is only one pair at any place, it does not get equal opportunities to grow. It is in the nature of Tigers that they keep a competition among themselves. Let’s create our own territory. The presence of other Tigers sometimes gives them a different atmosphere.
The first tiger was brought without permission in 2018
Dr. Gupta told that Mukundara’s notification was issued in the year 2012. Tiger reserve declared in 2013. Tigers could not be brought into the reserve till 2017. In the year 2018, the first tiger was brought from Ramgarh Sanctuary in Bundi. At that time permission was not received from NTCA. The matter of bringing a tiger without permission went to the High Court. After this, in 2018, a workshop was organized in Kota by calling tiger experts from across the country.
Complete timeline of tiger settlement in Mukundara
-The first tiger was brought from Ramgarh in April 2018. It was named MT-1.
-After this, in 2019, a tigress was brought from Ranthambore, which was named MT 2.
– Just two months after the arrival of the tigress, a tiger roaming from Ranthambore reached Mukundara. It was named MT-3.
– In the year 2019, another tigress was brought to Mukundhara from Ranthambore. Released in open area outside the enclosure. It was named MT 4.
– Tiger MT 3 died in July 2020. The carcass of the tiger was found near Mashalpura water point.
– After about 10 days, the dead body of tigress MT 2 was found. MT 2 was accompanied by two Cubs. One of them died. One went missing. It is said that the time of rain is the mating time of tigers. After knowing, it is said that when a tigress has cubs, she does not mate. Probably there was a conflict between MT 3 and MT 2 for mating. This led to the death of MT 3. MT 2 also got injured and died in the conflict. One of his cubs also died during treatment.
-After some time, in the year 2020 itself, Mukundara’s first tiger MT 1, which was radio-collared, also went missing.
-In November 2022, a tiger was brought to Mukundhara from Ranthambore. It was named MT 5.
-Tigress MT 4 died in May 2023. The tigress was ill in the month of April. The tigress had a pregnancy of 90 days.
-In August 2023, another tigress was brought from Ranthambore, which was named MT 6.
-At present there is a pair of MT 5 and MT 6 in Mukundara.
