Two tigresses from Pench National Park that are unable to hunt will soon be part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park’s (SGNP) tiger safari.
Two tigresses from Pench National Park that are unable to hunt will soon be part of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park’s (SGNP) tiger safari. The wild cats are expected to reach the city late on Sunday night or Monday morning, as sources confirmed the departure of a specialised team of SGNP officials from Pench National Park on Sunday morning.
The decision to shift the tigresses — TF1 and TF2 — was taken in May, and SGNP officials have backed it strongly due to possible breeding opportunities between the wild cats and their counterparts at SGNP. “We have six tigers in SGNP, but they belong to the same family. Breeding amongst them was strongly opposed as the offspring could have medical conditions. Besides, TF1 and TF2 have grown old and are unable to hunt,” said an SGNP official.
The tigresses were captured from the wild after their mother was reportedly poached in Chandrapur’s Dhaba forest range. They were then captured at the age of six months. The tigresses also had a male sibling, which was sent to Katraj two years ago.
Forest officials from Pench said the duo initially resided at Bor Wildlife Sanctuary and were moved to a larger cage in Pench National Park after three years. “Since they had gotten used to being fed by officials, they have been unable to hunt and kill. Later, as we started releasing goats and other small animals, they started feeding themselves,” said a Pench official.
