Wildlife activists cry foul after tiger is shifted from Ranthambore reserve to a biological park

The shifting of a a tiger called T-24 from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to Udaipur’s Sajjangarh Biological Park over the alleged killing of a forest guard on 8 May has lead to strong protests from wildlife experts. Many believe that this abrupt decision could have serious consequences for the tiger population in the reserve. [caption id=“attachment_2249712” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] T-24, better known as Ustaad, was shifted on 16 May after an inquiry said that it had become a man-killer and had alleged killed four people in five years. However, many wildlife activists have maintained that the charges are unproven and this move could result in adverse effects for the territorial equations in the reserve, according to a report in The Times of India. The shifting of Ustad, from a territory that was spread over 30-40 square kilometers to a confined enclosure measuring nearly half-a-hectare in the biological park will affect the male tiger. Conservationists are also concerned about the safety of its two cubs who are just over a year old. The Times of India report has quoted RN Mehrotra, an expert, saying that as soon the scent of T-24 will disappear from its territory, the most dominant male in the reserve’s hierarchy will try to take over it and that will put the two cubs in grave danger. Wildlife activists are also crying foul because a senior forest official abruptly decided to shift the tiger bowing to a small but powerful section of the hotel lobby in Ranthambore, continues the report. An activist, who is said to be a regular visitor at the Ranthambore reserve, has filed a PIL at Delhi High Court to save the tiger claiming that he is wrongfully accused and that the guard was attacked because he was encroaching upon the tiger’s territory, says Hindustan Times. The PIL  also says that the decision to transfer Ustad is against the Wildlife Protection Act and was made without proper investigation, in response to public pressure.