Jaipur: National Tiger Conservation Authority’s approval to relocate three sub-adult tigers from tigress Arrowhead’s litter out of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve into other tiger reserves has drawn criticism from wildlife experts, especially after one of them fatally attacked 70-year-old Radheshyam Mali within Ranthambore Fort Monday. Dharmendra Khandal, conservation biologist at Tiger Watch, said, “Releasing these sub-adults into the wild will not be a good idea. Two sub-adults have already killed humans. They will likely continue this behaviour wherever they are relocated.” Former honorary warden Balendu Singh, however, said, “They should be relocated from Ranthambore at the earliest. Amongst all, Mukundra’s 82 sq km enclosure offers the best solution. Its size can support five tigers with adequate prey and minimal human interaction, allowing natural hunting behaviour.”Meanwhile, forest teams continue searching for the sub-adults after losing track of them following Monday’s attack. Forest authorities said they are preparing documentation for the relocation process. The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change’s wildlife division has asked Rajasthan’s chief wildlife warden for a detailed proposal, including scientific assessments of the tigers’ behaviour, criteria for habitat selection, and justification for the relocation.After Arrowhead’s daughter Kankati killed a seven-year-old child and a forest guard last month, her confinement in Ranthambore’s core forest failed to resolve the crisis. Her male siblings, no longer fearful of humans due to live bait feeding and inadequate hunting skills, have also started targeting humans.
‘Not a good idea’: Wildlife experts oppose relocating sub-adult tigers to other forests | Jaipur News
