India, Dec. 22 -- Rajasthan has taken a historic step in tiger conservation with its first-ever inter-state aerial translocation of a big cat, aiming to strengthen tiger numbers and improve genetic diversity in the state's reserves.

A three-year-old tigress from Madhya Pradesh's Pench Tiger Reserve, identified as PN-224, was airlifted to Rajasthan late Sunday night and released into an acclimatisation enclosure at the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) in Bundi district on Monday morning.

The tigress arrived at Jaipur airport around 10:30pm aboard an MI-17 helicopter before being transported by road under tight security to Ramgarh Vishdhari. She was placed in the Bajalia enclosure, spread over one hectare, at around 6:30am. Forest o...