Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is set to introduce five additional female tigers to the Similipal Tiger Reserve in an effort to boost the park’s tiger population, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia announced on Tuesday. This initiative follows a recent release of a Royal Bengal tigress named ‘Yamuna’ from Maharashtra into the reserve.
Currently, Similipal is home to around 40 tigers, but authorities aim to increase this number by enhancing the female population to promote balanced and healthy breeding.
The Chief Conservator of Forests for Similipal explained that the new additions are intended to manage tiger population dynamics and encourage breeding stability within the reserve. “Since 2014, Similipal has had only one male tiger, which has impacted breeding patterns and led to unique variations, such as melanistic or black-striped tigers,” he said.