Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh is set to translocate ten tigers to its neighbouring states, and a team from Rajasthan is expected to arrive in the state shortly to discuss the formalities.
A senior Rajasthan Forest Department officer said to the Free Press that their state would get five big cats from Madhya Pradesh. An action plan has been prepared in this regard.
The officer confirmed that Rajasthan would receive tigers from Madhya Pradesh in October, and their team would discuss the formalities with their Madhya Pradesh counterparts soon.
Sources in Madhya Pradesh said it was the first time the state would translocate so many tigers to other states.
Odisha and Chhattisgarh are also in line to accept tigers from Madhya Pradesh, which has a huge population of the big cat, to increase their population in their respective states.
Wildlife activists say that the translocation of tigers from MP to its neighbouring states got the National Tiger Conservation Authority's go-ahead long back. MP tigers will improve the gene pool of the big cats in Rajasthan.
Even as he welcomed the move, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said Rajasthan, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh must ensure that the MP tigers would be safe from poachers, citing such cases from the states.
He also flagged that Rajasthan is the only state without a tiger corridor.
