Sariska to get 2 more big cats

The Sariska National Park is set to get two more tigers, one male and another female. The Centre has approved their relocation, likely to take place on July 4, from the Ranthambore reserve.Sariska at present has two tigresses and a tiger that were airlifted from Ranthambore park between July 2008 and early 2009.
However, more such relocation was stopped after some wildlife experts expressed fears that relocating tigers without testing the genes to see if they belonged to the same family might prove hazardous. “An expert team of Aparajita Dutta from the National Conservation Trust and John Singh, former professor of the Wildlife Trust of India, has been camping at Ranthambore for long. The move to relocate more tigers came in response to a letter written by Dutta to the ministry about the rising tiger population pressure on Ranthambore,’’ said state forest minister Ram Lal Jat. However, state forest department officials said the DNA testing would continue simultaneously as it takes a lot of time. “The scats have been collected and sent for a DNA test. In this relocation, our prime objective would be to shift the two tigers that have strayed out of Ranthambore to Kota and Kailadevi. In case we fail to locate them on July 4, we will shift other identified tigers,’’ the official said. The two tigers, a female T-37 and a male T-47, had strayed from the Ranthambore reserve earlier this year and have failed to return. Forest officials have been keeping a watch on them and trying to bring them back.