This, experts point out, was the precursor to the ultimate release of the cubs into the wild. While reared in captivity they are used to human presence, including vets, attendants etc who are around them. Hence, such big cats seldom fear or avoid humans, which otherwise is the natural instinct of wild reared cubs. In such cases, there are increased chances of man-animal conflict in the areas where they are released and lives of both humans and the big cats are under threat.
They pointed to the recent brutal killing of a sub-adult tigress by a furious mob on the Chhattisgarh - Maharashtra border. She had been released in the wild after being kept in a cage for injury treatment for nearly two months, in human presence. The local community had stoned her to death after she killed a woman in a local village.
However, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has released `1.05 crore for the rehabilitation of the Bor tiger cubs. Two scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, Dr K Ramesh Kumar and Dr Parag Nigam who had recently assessed the conditions of these big cats have given a go-ahead for their soft release.
Of the three cubs aged about two-and-half years, two are female and the other male. A Nagpur-based NGO Shrusti Paryavaran Mandal had recovered the cubs from South of Chandrapur after their mother was untraceable. These 10-month-old cubs were reared by the NGO in association with the Forest department. They were initially kept in small cages in Zaran in Chandrapur for treatment for about two-three months before being shifted to Bor on November 9, 2009 where they continue to be till date.
Talking to The Pioneer Dr Ramesh pointed out, “There may or may not have been human imprints in the mind of these cubs, as steps had been taken to rear them in minimum of human presence" These cubs had at least spent some time with their mother and thus are likely to have undergone the first phase of training with her. They have been found suitable for “soft release" to a wider enclosure with natural surroundings where they would be trained to develop hunting skills, he added. Read the full report here.
Source: Moushumi Basu, The Pioneer, New Delhi.
