Kaziranga National Park to Translocate Asiatic Water Buffaloes to Kanha Reserve

Translocation of Asiatic Water Buffaloes

Kaziranga, March 17: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has completed all necessary procedures to relocate approximately 50 wild Asiatic water buffaloes to the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, executing the process in phases.

The Divisional Forest Officer of Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Arun Vignesh, stated that the initial phase will involve the translocation of 15 buffaloes.

However, Vignesh noted that sending all 15 at once may not be feasible, suggesting that 5 to 6 buffaloes will be moved first to assess the viability of larger groups.

The capture of the wild buffaloes is set to commence on March 18 and 19, utilizing tranquillization methods.

A mock drill was conducted today and will continue through tomorrow, as explained by Dr. Bibhuti Ranjan Gogoi, the officer in charge of the Kohora Central Range.

Vignesh also mentioned that Kanha previously housed buffaloes, and the Madhya Pradesh authorities are keen on reintroducing them into their forest areas as part of a conservation initiative.

Additionally, relocating buffaloes to different forest regions is crucial for the species' preservation.

A team from the Wild Buffalo Translocation Implementation Committee executed the mock drill on Monday.

Currently, Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is home to over 1,000 Asiatic water buffaloes.

DFO Vignesh further noted that previously, some wild buffaloes from the Manas Tiger Reserve were relocated to Chhattisgarh.