Profiling of big cats in Rajasthan likley

JAIPUR: Relocation of tigers to Sariska and Mukundara may soon be a scientific process rather than an adhoc one used so far in Rajasthan. Scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India, WII are sequencing the genome of tigers in the country including the ones at

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

. So far 80% profiling of tigers in the country, has already been done.

“It's for the first time that the genome of wild tigers is being done on such a comprehensive scale using the best scientific tools and technology in India. The WII is creating a repository of the genome of Rhinos and the tigers, at the behest of the National

Tiger

Conservation authority,

NTCA

. This would help us identify suitable tigers for re-location, assist enforcement and conservation,” said Dr Vinod Mathur, director, WII. It is an ongoing process. The data base is under construction and offers a glimpse of what is to come in the field of tiger genetics, and more generally in conservation genetics, he said.

Genome is the genetic material of a species and includes genes and DNA. Its sequencing is done to determine or decode the complete DNA sequence through blood samples, skin or tiger’s body parts in one go for a better insight into its complete biological and evolutionary history.

According to the scientific paper by

Royal Society

's flagship biological research journal, “Peninsular India (comprising Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau) and northeast India samples formed one cluster, the semi-arid region formed a second cluster and the Terai landscape formed the third. Surprisingly, when modern and historical samples were taken together two clusters were inferred. Peninsular India and northeast India samples formed one cluster, while north Indian samples formed the second, suggesting increase in genetic differentiation.” Ranthambore, Rajasthan provided all the samples from the northwest.

The data once compiled, would be used for planning scientific re-location programs of the big cat rather than just shifting tigers impromptu. The profile of the tigers would be analyzed before shifting them to Sariska or Mukundra.

Besides, “Conviction rate is very low in wildlife crimes and illegal trade as before it was difficult to identify where the tiger hailed from. Now this data would be maintained for enforcement purposes and to drive a better management plan. Knowing the genetic underpinnings of local adaptations would also have implications for how tigers are to be managed and conserved,” said Mathur.

According to studies conducted across nine tiger reserves in central India, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Tadoba-Andhari and Bor, Ranthambore had the most isolated tigers and genetic variation in these tigers was the least of all the clusters.