Ramnagar, Uttarakhand: Marking a milestone in Uttarakhand’s tiger conservation efforts, the fifth and final tiger under the ‘Tiger Reinstatement Project’ was successfully relocated from Corbett Tiger Reserve to Rajaji National Park. This initiative, launched in 2020, aims to revive the tiger population in the western region of Rajaji, where a sharp decline had threatened the ecological balance despite abundant natural resources.
As part of the project, five tigers – two males and three females – have now been translocated from non-tourism zones of Corbett Tiger Reserve to the western range of Rajaji. The final phase involved relocating a five-year-old male tiger from the Sanwalde area of the Bijrani range after a full health check-up and the fitting of a satellite radio collar for continuous monitoring.
“The western Rajaji landscape offers a perfect tiger habitat, but lacked a viable population. This final transfer is a historic conservation milestone,” said Dr. Saket Badola, 2008 batch Indian Forest Service officer and Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve.
The relocation was executed by a dedicated team of veterinarians, forest officials, rescue personnel, and wildlife experts, ensuring the tiger’s safety and minimal stress during transport.
Corbett Tiger Reserve, known for having one of the highest tiger densities in India, served as a donor population for this inter-reserve effort. The project was conducted in collaboration with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and supported by the Central Government.
Wildlife experts and forest department officials believe this relocation will help the western part of Rajaji National Park restore its status as a functional tiger habitat and improve biodiversity in the region.
About Rajaji and Corbett
Rajaji National Park, spread across 820 sq km in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, Dehradun, and Pauri Garhwal districts, was established in 1983 through the merger of three sanctuaries – Chilla, Motichur, and Rajaji. It is named after C. Rajagopalachari, India’s first and last Governor-General and a Bharat Ratna awardee.
Corbett Tiger Reserve, located in Nainital district, holds the distinction of being India’s first national park, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. Renamed after legendary hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett in 1956, it was also the first park to be included under the Project Tiger initiative launched in 1973.
This successful culmination of the Tiger Reinstatement Project stands as a strong example of inter-reserve cooperation and scientific wildlife management in India’s ongoing efforts to protect and restore its tiger population.
