Forest department officials release spotted deer in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary in Warangal district on Tuesday
HYDERABAD: In an effort to increase the prey base for tigers in areas where the big cats move, the Telangana Forest department has been translocating wild herbivores from zoos and parks to other natural habitats. As a part of the programme, spotted deer were released in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary in Warangal district on Tuesday after following due protocols.
Over the last three months, the Department has translocated 20 spotted deer, six peafowls, 13 sambars from Kakatiya Zoo Park to Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary and from Nehru Zoo Park, Hyderabad to Amrabad Tiger Reserve.
In the next two months, it is proposed to translocate over 400 spotted deer along with Nilgai, Black Buck from the Hyderabad Zoo and Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park to all the Tiger-bearing areas.
The three zoological parks at Hyderabad, Hanamkonda and Mahbubnagar, and three deer parks at Shamirpet, Kinnerasani and LMD Karimnagar where the wild herbivore population is increasing at a faster pace, their management is becoming difficult.
At the same time in the areas like Amrabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves, Kinnerasani, Eturnagaram, Pakhal Wild Life Sanctuaries where movement of big cats like tigers, panthers and other wild predators is noticed, have a comparatively low prey base which needs to be strengthened.
Scientific management
This operation is taken up as per Section 12 (bb) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 which empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden to trans-locate excess animals for scientific management of the population.
The release site is identified by the local staff where plenty of green grass and water is available throughout the year. The animals released into the natural habitat are monitored by the local staff at the release site for a period of three months or till the released animals mingle with the existing population.
The entire translocation process is done with due care and casualties during the process are less than three percent. The translocation project which is being taken up is successful and the increase in the carnivore population of animals in the released areas is a good sign.
