Jaipur, Aug. 8 -- The state forest department is all set to translocate five tigers from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra via air to strengthen the tiger populations in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) in Bundi, according to officials familiar with the matter. After a gap of 17 years, tigers will probably once again soar through Rajasthan skies - this time as part of an ambitious interstate airlift operation being planned by the state forest department. If executed between October and December, coinciding with Wildlife Week, it would mark only the second time in Rajasthan's history that big cats are relocated by air. The first such instance was in 2008, when a male tiger was flown from Ranthambore to Sariska - though that was not an interstate relocation. The decision was finalised during a high-level meeting held at Parliament House on Wednesday evening, attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union environment and forest minister Bhupender Yadav, and senior forest officials including Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) Anand Kumar, Chief Wildlife Warden Shikha Mehra, PCCF Pawan Kumar Upadhyay, and Lok Sabha Joint Secretary Gaurav Goyal. At present, RVTR has seven big cats and MHTR has five, including a cub. A senior forest official familiar with the development said, "In the meeting, it was decided to translocate five tigers-three from Madhya Pradesh and two from Maharashtra- probably all females. Initially, one tiger each will be shifted to RVTR and MHTR in October, and the rest in phases." The official continued, "Efforts are being made to airlift the big cats, and for the same, a request has been made to the Government of India and the Indian Air Force. Given the distance and sensitive nature of the relocation, choppers would be used to ensure the tigers' safety and minimise travel stress." To support the incoming tigers, 150 chitals (spotted deer) will also be released to strengthen the prey base in both reserves. Another senior forest official said that this will mark the first instance of tigers from other states being relocated to Rajasthan. The primary goal of this initiative is to prevent inbreeding and establish a fresh gene pool for the tiger population in the state. This move is expected to enhance genetic diversity and bolster conservation efforts. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has granted in-principle approval for the proposal, paving the way for this historic relocation. Earlier, research by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) found that Rajasthan has more inbred tigers than any other state in the country. Commenting on the development, former Ranthambore Tiger Reserve field director Manoj Parashar said, "Inbreeding is a concern everywhere as tiger populations are isolated. It's the tigers from RTR that have gone to Sariska and Mukundra. There is zero possibility that any tiger from outside comes in contact." He added, "It's a great move. If tigers from outside the state aren't brought in, then in the next two or three decades, the population of big cats could be affected by disease or infertility. A new gene pool is the need of the hour to ensure the population continues to strengthen and grow. However, it must be ensured that the tigers brought in are thoroughly screened for diseases-both in themselves and in their family line."...