Tigress walks about 150 km from Umred-Karhandla to Pench Tiger Reserve

A three-and-a-half-year-old tigress has made a long journey through the forests of eastern Maharashtra. She is estimated to have walked 140 to 150 km from the Umred-Pauni-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary (UPKW), which spans Nagpur and Bhandara districts, to the Pench Tiger Reserve in Nagpur district.

Akshay Gajbhiye, Deputy Director of Pench Tiger Reserve, said the cub, from the last litter of tigress F2 of Gothangaon in UPKW, was spotted near the Chorbahuli gate of Pench on October 29. The sub-adult tigress's journey has drawn the attention of forest officials.

Officials see it as a good sign of tigers dispersing on their own in search of new territory. They say it gives hope that the forests in the region are still connected enough for tigers to move from one place to another looking for new areas.

Umred-Karhandla is about 60 km from Nagpur. Pench Tiger Reserve lies in the northern part of eastern Vidarbha and spreads across the Ramtek, Parseoni and Savner talukas of Nagpur district. It is near the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border. Forest department officials said it is too early to say whether the tigress has settled in Pench or is only passing through.

According to Gajbhiye, the tigress is probably roaming in search of a suitable territory. Her possible route, via Kuhi, Bhandara, Ramtek, Pauni, the Pauni buffer and NH-44 to Chorbahuli, is currently being considered. However, more monitoring and scientific study will be needed to establish how useful and continuously connected this corridor is.

Gajbhiye said, "This sight is a good sign that young tigers are moving through the forests to new areas. We are monitoring now, and it is too early to say whether the tigress stays there. Our first priority is to keep the forest safe and healthy, so that this tigress can find her territory and the tiger population in Pench stabilises over time."

Officials said it is essential to retain suitable habitat outside the boundaries of protected forests too, so that wildlife can move freely. They said sustained measures in the Chorbahuli wildlife range, such as regular patrolling, habitat improvement, water conservation, forest dams and community participation, have improved conditions for wildlife. In their view, protecting forests and the connectivity between them is essential for the long-term survival of tigers.

Kedar Gore, a wildlife conservationist with the Corbett Foundation, said, "Vidarbha in central India holds great hope for the long-term future of tiger conservation. Tigers moving between fragmented forests is a good thing, and it shows the importance of the ecological corridors that link these habitats. But the future of tiger conservation here depends largely on how the Maharashtra government balances development priorities with environmental protection. Several mining projects have been proposed in the area, so tiger habitats, key corridors and forest connectivity must be given priority in planning and decisions."

The probable route is said to be Umred-Karhandla, Kuhi, Bhandara, Pauni and then Pench (Chorbahuli gate).