Overview

• The approval authorizes captures from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench under strict conditions, including continuous veterinary care, minimal trauma, and regular post-release monitoring with quarterly reports.
• Forest officials say the cohort will include five females and three males, with the first two tigresses to be moved from Tadoba and acclimated in a temporary enclosure before release.
• Sahyadri currently holds few resident tigers and a largely transient population, though studies by WII and the state indicate the reserve could support more than 20 after habitat and prey-base strengthening.
• Operational details remain under discussion, with transport options such as road or helicopter to be decided at an upcoming coordination meeting.
• Conservation voices differ on the plan’s suitability, with some citing reduced territorial clashes and human attacks in Vidarbha, while others warn that lower prey densities and the reserve’s linear geography could push tigers toward livestock.