India, Dec. 19 -- The Maharashtra forest department on Wednesday successfully released adult female tigress STR-05, now named Tara, into the core forest of Chandoli in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, marking the second big cat to be reintroduced under the ongoing tiger augmentation programme. The soft-release took place at the Sonarli acclimatisation enclosure.

Although the gates of the enclosure were opened on December 13, the tigress ventured out into the core forest on December 18 morning after roaming in the vicinity for a few days and feeding on a kill she made inside the enclosure.

"Tigress STR-05 has shown excellent adaptation during the soft-release phase and displayed all essential wild traits. Her entry into the wild is a significant ...