This story is from July 19, 2018

Odisha forest minister appeals to people not to worry over tiger relocation

Forest minister Bijayshree Routray on Thursday appealed people around Satakosia tiger reserve not to panic with two big cats being relocated there. People’s apprehension of tiger harming them is totally wrong, he clarified.
Odisha forest minister appeals to people not to worry over tiger relocation
BHUBANESWAR: Forest minister Bijayshree Routray on Thursday appealed to people around Satakosia Tiger Reserve not to panic with two big cats being relocated there. People’s apprehension of tiger harming them is totally wrong, he clarified.
Routray told media here on Thursday that there is plenty of prey and buffer area for the tigers to move without coming in contact with any human habitation.
“Tigers were already staying in the reserve forest earlier. We just added the new ones to their population,” he added.
The minister’s statement came in the wake of some locals staging protest on Wednesday and Thursday seeking their safety.
On Wednesday, hundreds of people from 104 villages living in the periphery of Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) staged protest against the state government releasing tigers in the STR without providing security to them.
The villagers under the aegis of Satkosia Khsyatigrasta Praja Surakshya Samiti (SKPSS) gheraoed the Angul collector’s office to fulfill their demand. Janardana Sahoo, president of the Samiti, alleged that the STR authorities released tigers into the reserve forest without discussing with the villagers living inside the STR areas. “After release of all six tigers into Satkosia tiger reserve, people will be in danger. We fear tigers might attack people as these big cats will roam in the open field,” he added.

Anil Kumar Samal, Angul district collector, said there were tigers in the STR and they neither attacked humans nor any domestic animals. “The tigers will roam in the core area of the tiger reserve. We cannot stall the project as the government has already started releasing big cats,” he added.
The state government has already released one male tiger from Kanha National Park into the wild and the another tigress, which was brought from the Bandhavgarh National park in Madhya Pradesh, will be released into the wild very soon.
Satkosia, was declared as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2007, comprising two adjoining wildlife sanctuaries- the Satkosia Gorge sanctuary and Baisipalli sanctuary. The Reserve which included Mahanadi Wildlife Division is too, is spread over four districts like Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh.
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About the Author
Hemanta Pradhan

Hemanta Pradhan writes for the Times of India on education, hospital issues, transport, agriculture & tribal affairs. He has been working as a journalist since 2011. He has a PG degree in Journalism & Mass Communication from Berhampur University. He has won Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity.

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