Source: HT
Context: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved the relocation of three tigresses from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi.
Reason for relocation:
To maintain the one plus two (one male, two female) rule and to address the increasing population of big cats at RTR. The death of five tigers, including three cubs, and the mysterious disappearance of one male tiger led the state to seek permission from NTCA to relocate the tigresses.
About the two reserves:
| Feature | Ranthambore Tiger Reserve | Mukundra Tiger Reserve |
| Location | Eastern part of Rajasthan state (Sawai Madhopur districts) at the junction of the Aravali and Vindhya hill ranges
|
Near Kota, Rajasthan. The reserve was the royal hunting ground of the Maharaja of Kota |
| Parks and Sanctuaries Included | Ranthambore National Park as well as Sawai Mansingh and Keladevi Sanctuaries | Darrah, Jawahar Sagar, and Chambhal Wildlife Sanctuaries |
| Vegetation | Tropical dry deciduous with ‘dhak’ (Butea monsoperma) being the commonest | Very thick and dense forest. Chambal river forms the boundary of the Mukundra TR valley |
| Wildlife | Tigers, leopards, striped hyenas, common or hanuman langurs, rhesus macaques, jackals, jungle cats, caracals, blackbuck, etc. | Similar |
About NTCA:
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (formed 2005, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It was constituted under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for strengthening tiger conservation. It is responsible for management of Project Tiger and India’s many Tiger Reserves in India.
