https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

28 Gaurs Translocated from Kanha Now Roam Free in Sanjay Tiger Reserve

28 Gaurs translocated from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve have been let out of the enclosure Their place in the 28-hectares enclosure has been taken by 15 Gaurs brought from Satpura Tiger Reserve The Gaurs from Kanha are roaming freely and exploring the new landscape, even crossing over to Chhattisgarh at times
Indian Masterminds Stories

In what was one of the largest mega-herbivore translocations in India, particularly for improving the heterogeneity of the existing population, 28 Gaurs were successfully translocated from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, both in Madhya Pradesh.

This translocation was done in order to repopulate the animal in Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve after its Gaurs started disappearing in the 90s. The last Gaur was documented here in 1997.

Indian Masterminds spoke to CCF & Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve, Mr. Sunil Kumar Singh, and CCF & Field Director of Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, Mr. Amit Dubey, to get more details about the translocation and the successful reintroduction.

CCF & Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve, Sunil Kumar Singh (left) and CCF & Field Director of Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, Amit Dubey (right)

WHY GAURS DISAPPEARED FROM SANJAY DUBRI

According to Field Director of Kanha, Sunil Kumar Singh (IFS 2000), after the bifurcation of the state of Madhya Pradesh into two – Chhattisgarh and MP – 70 percent of the Sanjay Tiger Reserve landscape went to Chhattisgarh. “As the landscape was contiguous, the Gaurs on the MP side started moving towards the Chhattisgarh side. This migration happened largely around 1996-97,” he said.

The Chhattisgarh part is now known as the Guru Ghasidas Tiger Reserve. However, Gaurs gradually started disappearing from the entire landscape consisting of Bandhavgarh, Sanjay Dubri, Guru Ghasidas, and Palamu. Only a few insignificant evidences were observed, mostly of loner Gaur, on the Chhattisgarh side till recently.

As for Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, its Field Director Amit Dubey (IFS 2001) said that Gaurs were here till the late 90s. After that, they became extinct and were wiped out from the entire landscape. He attributed the extinction to several factors. “The last Gaur was documented in 1997. The reasons for the extinction were never really established. Might be due to multiple reasons,” he said.

GAUR REINTRODUCTION IN BANDHAVGARH

Earlier, in 2011-12, Gaur reintroduction programme was introduced in Bandhavgarh National Park with translocation of the animals from Kanha. This turned out to be quite successful in terms of multiplication of source population almost three times in 10 years.

“In the same way, Gaurs are being reintroduced in Sanjay Dubri to restore lost bio-diversity,” Mr. Dubey said.

TRANSLOCATION OF 28 GAURS

The translocation of 28 Gaurs from Kanha to Sanjay Dubri was carried out from 1 to 7 June. A team of 65 people took part it it. The team, that included forest officials, veterinary doctors, and wildlife experts, was led by the then Chief Wildlife Warden of the state, Mr. Jasbir Singh Chouhan.

A Gaur being carried to the customised transportation vehicle in Kanha for translocation to Sanjay Dubri

Four customised transportation vehicles were used for the translocation. The Gaurs were first tranquilised and then carefully placed inside the vehicles. “On a particular day, minimum 2 to maximum 6 Gaurs were taken to Sanjay Dubri from Kanha. Each vehicle has two chambers. Depending on the sizes, we could accommodate 3-4 Gaurs in each vehicle. If a Gaur was very big, we gave him one chamber and placed two smaller ones in the other,” Kanha Field Director Sunil Kumar Singh informed.

As this translocation was carried out in the harsh summer, when Madhya Pradesh was experiencing around 40-42 degree celsius, wet foams were placed on the roof of the vehicles and exhaust fans and showers were fitted inside. These showers sprinkled water on the Gaurs from time to time. All this was done to maintain a suitable temperature between 32-33 degree celsius.

The Gaurs were accompanied on their journey of 14-16 hours by wildlife experts, forest staff, and veterinary doctors. “There were 12 doctors in the team. The technical support was provided by WWI, who was our partner. Also, scientists and vets from the School of Wildlife Forensic and Health in Jabalpur and forest officials from all the tigers reserves in MP oversaw the operation,” Mr. Singh said.

The team that made the translocation possible

GAURS IN THEIR NEW HOME

All 28 Gaurs brought from Kanha are now roaming free in Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, exploring the landscape. Few of them even cross over to the Chhattisgarh side at times. “It will take another 2-3 months for them to mark their home range and settle down,” Sanjay Dubri Field Director Amit Dubey said.

However they are monitored carefully by doctors as well as the forest staff. Few of them have been fitted with VHF (Very High Frequency) collars while few others have been fitted with collars with colour codes.

“So, either through the signals from the VHF collars or through binoculars, we can keep track of the herds. By picking out a particular coloured collar in one or two Gaurs through binoculars, we can make out which herd it is,” the officer explained.

Translocated Gaurs from Kanha in their new habitat in Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve

It’s been more than a month now since the Gaurs from Kanha arrived in Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve. On their arrival, they were kept in a 28-hectares enclosure for about 15 days for close monitoring, and then let out to roam free in the landscape.

15 MORE GAURS FROM SATPURA

However, the enclosure has new members now. The Kanha Gaurs’ place has been taken by 15 Gaurs brought from the Satpura Tiger Reserve. And, now, they are waiting to be released into the wild, which, Mr. Dubey said, is likely to happen in a few days from now.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
DMF fund utilisation
District Collectors Must Ensure Timely Use of DMF Funds, Says Mines Secretary; Flags Non-Spending in Some States
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)1
PNGRB Unveils 2025–26 Action Plan: Petroleum Products Exchange, Unified Gas Tariff, & Hydrogen Safety in Focus
OIL GAIL
15-Year Gas Pact Signed Between OIL and GAIL for Rajasthan Power Generation, Strengthens Domestic Gas Supply
Screenshot 2025-07-09 200810
NTPC Simhadri Inaugurates First Rooftop Solar Plant on 28th Raising Day - Details Inside
Uttar Pradesh CM resized
Yogi Government Unveils Delta Ranking for Aspirational Development Block; Top 5 to Receive Rs 20 Crore Incentive, Jalaun Tops the List
Niti-Aayog
Jharkhand: Ranchi’s Sankalp Sinha Appointed to NITI Aayog's Standing Committee on Research & Innovation
NBCC C-DOT Innovation Hub Mehrauli
Next-Gen Tech Wonderland in Delhi: NBCC & C-DOT Partner on Rs 220 Crore Innovation Hub
Punauradham
Punauradham to Undergo Rs 882.87 Crore Transformation as Bihar Aims to Develop a Grand Ramayana Pilgrimage Hub - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-07 at 3.15
The Martial Artist IRS Officer Who Conquered North East India on a Cycle
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
IRS Sanjay Bahadur: The Officer With a Pen That Bites | Video Interview
Inderjit Singh Air India
Is Air India Carrying The Burden of Split Before Privatisation?
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sushmitha and Ishwarya Ramanathan
Their Home Was Washed Away — Sushmitha & Ishwarya Built a Legacy Instead
Sushmitha and Ishwarya lost their home to the 2004 tsunami. But with books, belief, and each other, they...
IAS SHWETA BHARTI Bihar
From Wipro to Civil Services: How Bihar's IAS Shweta Bharti Juggled a BPSC Job While Preparing for UPSC
IAS Shweta Bharti, from rural Bihar, balanced a full-time job and UPSC prep with discipline, cracked...
IPS Deepak Meghani
Deepak Meghani, IPS: A Journey of Focus, Failure, and Quiet Discipline
A passionate writer, he has authored several books in Gujarati, ranging from exam strategy guides to...
Social Media
G S Roshni
Kerala’s Fearless Forest Officer G.S. Roshni Rescues 16-Foot King Cobra with Bare Hands, Garners Praise & Critique
Beat Forest Officer G.S. Roshni’s first-ever king cobra rescue goes viral, earning her the title of ‘Green...
Kaziranga Baby Elephant
Chotu the Baby Elephant Reunited with Mother in Kaziranga: Retired IFS Officer’s Post Goes Viral
A baby elephant's emotional reunion with its mother in Kaziranga, shared by retired IFS officer Susanta...
PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu’s Visit to NADT Turns into a Wholesome Tribute to Legacy—and ‘Moolchandj
The Olympic champion shared nostalgic memories, met aspiring IRS officers, and sparked viral laughter...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
DMF fund utilisation
District Collectors Must Ensure Timely Use of DMF Funds, Says Mines Secretary; Flags Non-Spending in Some States
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)1
PNGRB Unveils 2025–26 Action Plan: Petroleum Products Exchange, Unified Gas Tariff, & Hydrogen Safety in Focus
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-07 at 3.15
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-03 at 13.33
Inderjit Singh Air India
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT