Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): As many as 50 bisons will be translocated to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve from Satpura Tiger Reserve in February. The translocation aims to achieve a healthy gene pool to ensure a medically fit bison population.
Necessary preparations are being done in this regard.
Translocation for genetic variation
Interacting with the Free Press, Deputy Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Prakash Kumar Verma, said that it was in 2011-12 that 50 bison were brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Bandhavgarh. Now their population has increased to around 170.
Recently a study was done on Bison population, and it recommended that bison from some other area other than Kanha shall be brought to Bandhavgarh for a healthy gene pool. On the basis of this study, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve officials decided to bring bison from Satpura Tiger Reserve. This will help in genetic variation and will protect bison from being vulnerable to diseases, Deputy Director Verma added.
Several decades ago, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was home to bisons. Owing to some strange reasons, the bisons disappeared from the landscape of Bandhavgarh, leaving wildlife enthusiasts surprised. To rehabilitate the bison in Bandhavgarh, 50 bison were brought from Kanha in 2011-12, and since then, their population has been increasing in a satisfactory manner.
King Cobras in Van Vihar soon
Similarly, two King Cobras will be brought from Pilikula Biological Park in Mangalore, Karnataka to Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park.
The Van Vihar, in exchange, will sent two tigers to Pilikula Park in Mangalore, a deal said to be an expensive ones by many!
