Male Tiger shifted to Mukundara hills as Rajasthan expands conservation efforts

In a move aimed at strengthening biodiversity, promoting eco-tourism and supporting local livelihoods, a male tiger from Rajasthan’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has been relocated to the Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) as part of an intrastate translocation programme under Project Tiger, forest officials said on Friday.

The four-year-old tiger , identified as T-2408 , was shifted from Ranthambore to the Mukundara Hills reserve in Kota district to augment the existing big cat population and improve genetic diversity. With the latest addition, Mukundara Hills now has six tigers, two males, three females and one cub.

Officials said the translocation was necessary as Ranthambore, one of India’s most successful tiger reserves, supports a high-density tiger population, making it a source site for dispersing animals to other protected areas with suitable habitat. Mukundara Hills, which has undergone habitat restoration in recent years, has been assessed to have an adequate prey base to support additional tigers, they added.

Muthu Somasundaram, Deputy Conservator of Forests at Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve, said the relocation is part of a broader strategy to develop Mukundara Hills and the adjoining Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve as major conservation landscapes. “Intrastate translocation helps establish a stable breeding population, strengthens genetic health and ensures long-term sustainability of tigers in lesser-populated reserves,” he said.

The exercise has been carried out under the supervision of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex body implementing Project Tiger. NTCA plays a key role in approving translocations, assessing habitat and prey availability, monitoring animal movement and ensuring that protocols for animal safety and ecological balance are followed.

Kota MP and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the successful relocation marked another step towards ecological balance and wildlife protection in the region. He noted that integrated conservation efforts in Mukundara Hills and Ramgarh Vishdhari could transform the Kota-Bundi region into an important tiger conservation hub.

“A rising tiger population will not only strengthen biodiversity but also boost eco-tourism, creating employment and livelihood opportunities for local communities, especially youth,” Birla said.

While Rajasthan has previously carried out intrastate tiger translocations to build viable populations outside Ranthambore, officials said each such move is crucial for reducing pressure on source reserves and expanding the tiger’s range within the state.