Young tiger from Umred-Karhandla reaches Pench, believed to be a cub of tigress F-2

Ramtek: There is good news for wildlife lovers. A young male tiger, believed to be one of the five cubs of the well-known tigress F-2 of the Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, has reached the Chorbahuli area of Pench Tiger Reserve.

The tiger is estimated to be between three and four years old. It had set out from the Gothangaon zone of the Umred-Karhandla sanctuary. It needed a territory of its own, and in search of one it kept moving until it reached the Pench forest. Its presence there has now been recorded.

Tourists on the Friday afternoon safari were fortunate, as they got to watch the young tiger for a long time. After a kill near the forest, the tiger was seen resting for a while in a waterhole. It then moved around the area and marked its territory at several places.

The tiger was identified by the pattern of black stripes on its body, which is different for every tiger. Piyush Akre, a wildlife researcher with Deccan Drifts, and Ajay Sontakke and Avinash Chaudhari, forest guides at the Chorbahuli gate, identified the tiger by matching the stripes.

Many photographs and videos of the tiger's gait and natural behaviour were also recorded during the safari.

Wildlife experts say that leaving home is a natural part of a tiger's life. After a certain age, young tigers leave their mother's territory to find a place of their own. Male tigers in particular travel long distances between forests to establish a territory.

The young tiger's arrival in Pench from Umred-Karhandla shows how important connectivity between forests and natural wildlife corridors are. It is because of these that tigers can move from one forest to another and survive.

Its arrival has excited tourists visiting Pench Tiger Reserve and wildlife researchers.