Pune: The Maharashtra forest department on Wednesday successfully released adult female tigress STR-05, now named Tara, into the core forest of Chandoli in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, marking the second big cat to be reintroduced under the ongoing tiger augmentation programme. The soft-release took place at the Sonarli acclimatisation enclosure.
Although the gates of the enclosure were opened on December 13, the tigress ventured out into the core forest on December 18 morning after roaming in the vicinity for a few days and feeding on a kill she made inside the enclosure.
“Tigress STR-05 has shown excellent adaptation during the soft-release phase and displayed all essential wild traits. Her entry into the wild is a significant step towards strengthening the tiger population in the Sahyadri landscape,” said Tushar Chavan, field director, Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
The tigress, earlier identified as T7 (S2), was captured on December 8 from the Pandharpauni area of Korala core range in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. After health checks confirmed she was fit, the big cat was shifted and placed in the acclimatisation enclosure on December 9.
The translocation is part of Operation TARA (Tiger Augmentation and Range Expansion), aimed at reviving the dwindling tiger population in the Sahyadri landscape.