After tiger makes Gujarat its home, state government seeks tigress from NTCA

Ahmedabad: Acknowledging a representation made in the past year, Gujarat govt confirmed in the state assembly on Friday that it formally sought a female tiger from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).The govt made the request after a tiger made Gujarat its home and established its territory in about 120 sq km around Ratanmahal Sanctuary.
The admission came in a written reply tabled in the assembly in response to a question raised by Jignesh Mevani. The Vadgam Congress MLA asked whether it was true that the state govt, over the past two years, made representations to the NTCA to obtain a tigress.In its reply, the govt stated that it made a representation to the NTCA on Nov 24 last year, seeking a female tiger. Mevani also sought details on what measures the govt took in connection with the request. The govt said the matter is currently under consideration by the NTCA.A senior forest department official, refusing to be named, said that Gujarat's principal chief conservator of forests, Jaipal Singh, recently met NTCA officials in Delhi and received some confirmation.Singh was told that Gujarat would be included in the ongoing national tiger census, a necessary step before translocation is considered. Gujarat officials said that after the census is completed, May and June are the months most conducive to translocation.Senior Gujarat officials said that the preferred option is to source a female tiger from the wild, particularly an animal that is isolated, dispersed from its original area, or moving in search of a mating partner.