BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government has put on hold translocation of four tigers to Odisha’s Satkosia Tiger Reserve amidst reports on resentment among forest dwellers there over alleged rumours that two big cats translocated in the first phase have a history of attacking humans.MP forest department had captured and shifted a pair of big cats from Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in June this year under a project intended at introducing and increasing tiger population in Odisha , where presence of big cats is reportedly almost nil. They were kept in an enclosure, one was collared and released only a few days ago.Now, third tiger that was selected for translocation from Kanha to Satkosia is being shifted to Sanjay Dubri National Park. “Shifting of other tigers depend on response of the two that were sent earlier,” MP’s chief wildlife warden Shahbaz Ahmad told TOI.Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey had been opposing this move expressing concern on safety of tigers in Odisha forests.“Odisha is not a safe location to shift tigers. There are more than 25 villages inside and around the protected areas. Tigers would not be safe until villagers are shifted from there. Chances of conflicts are very high,” said Dubey. “I have come to know that the tiger has gone missing after being released in wild,” he added.Expressing threat to their life and livestock, villagers living around Satkosia Tiger Reserve have reportedly threatened to kill the tigers if they are released in the wild.According to media reports, villagers gathered at Angul district collectorate in Odisha and registered their protest accusing forest department of jeopardising their lives. Demonstrators were from Purunakote, Tikarpada, Jagannathpur, Manikjodi and Balang villages which are located around Satkosia Tiger Reserve.“They have threatened to gun down the tiger if not shifted back to the enclosure.,” according to a local daily. They claimed that the tiger was released into the wild without informing them. And, rumours that MP has shifted ‘man-eater’ tigers to Odisha created more panic, said sources.Noteworthy, the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change, National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun had prepared a special project for reintroduction of tigers in Satkosia tiger reserve. Under this project, the Madhya Pradesh forest department is to give six tigers (three pairs) to the Odisha government for reintroduction.

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