Translocated tiger released into open forest recently in Rajasthan adapts to the wild

Kota (Raj) Jul 14 (PTI) A translocated male tiger in Rajasthan has hunted prey and carried out territorial markings, indicating successful adaptation to the wild, according to teams monitoring its progress since the big cat was released from its rewilding enclosure 18 days ago. The tiger, designated as RVT-07, has also had encounters with other tigers in the open forest of Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR), suggesting the possibility of mating in the future, forest officials said. The three-and-a-half-year-old tiger voluntarily left its five-hectare rewilding enclosure on June 24, 2026 and entered the wild in the tiger reserve spanning over 1500 sq km across Bundi, Kota and Bhilwara districts.       During this period, RVT-07 exhibited entirely natural wild behaviour essential for survival, officials said. Monitoring teams have documented the tiger making scratch marks on trees, scent-spraying, and carrying out territorial markings -- all critical indicators of successful adaptation to a natural habitat. Significantly, the tiger has also successfully hunted prey under natural conditions, proving its independent hunting capabilities. The rewilding programme by authorities in Rajasthan began nearly two years ago in December 2024. Two orphaned cubs -- one male and one female -- were rescued following the early demise of their mother. The cubs were then shifted to the Abheda Biological Park in Kota where they were carefully reared under human supervision. Recognising an opportunity to pioneer the state's first rewilding process, the forest department translocated the male cub to RVTR in Bundi, while the female cub was transferred to the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve. Deputy conservator of forest (DCF), RVTR, Arunkumar D, told PTI that for around 18 to 19 months, the male tiger was kept inside a specialised 5-hectare tiger enclosure located in the Jaitpur range of RVTR. During this intensive period, wildlife officials carefully managed the enclosure and curated a specific prey selection to prepare the animal for survival in the wild. Throughout this phase, the department maintained rigorous, continuous monitoring to evaluate the tiger's development. The newly released tiger, now 3.5 years old, is adjusting exceptionally well to its open environment despite being raised in a controlled setting, he said. RVT-07 is exhibiting authentic wild behaviour, including creating territory markers such as scrape marks and scratch marks on trees, he added. A round-the-clock 24/7 monitoring strategy utilises advanced technologies, including radio telemetry and tracking collars, to log each movement and ensure the tiger does not find itself in volatile territorial conflicts. In its first 18 days of stay in the wild, RVT-07 had multiple interactions with the resident dominant male RVT-01, a cub RVT-03, and the resident tigress RVT-05. Most recently, last week, RVT-07 also had an interaction with RVT-06, a female tiger which has recently transitioned from sub-adult to adult stage, the forest official said. However, the possibility of territorial conflict between RVT-01 and RVT-07 is a concern for the department and the forest teams are on high alert, he added.     "We are tracking its movements every second to ensure its safety and observe how it establishes its domain," said the forest official. A combination of GPS-VHF radio collars, radio telemetry, camera traps, and ground-level field monitoring teams is being used to continuously document its movements," he said. PTI COR SKY SKY