6 Swamp deer shifted from Kanha to Satpura tiger reserve
Bhopal. Under supervision of wildlife doctors and experts, Forest Department relocated 6 swamp deer from Kanha tiger reserve to Satpura tiger reserve. They were released into Bori sanctuary of Satpura tiger reserve under direction of Chief Wildlife Patron Shri Ravi Shrivastava.
This specie of swam deer found in central India is called ‘Hardground Swam Deer’. This specie had survived only in Kanha tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh. Their number even Kanha tiger reserve had dwindled to only 66 in the 70s, which had endangered their existence. Due to untiring efforts of Kanha tiger reserve, the number of Hardground Swam Deer has increased to about 600. However, concentration of any wildlife specie at one place may jeopardize their existence.
Keeping this in view, permission was sought from Environment, Forests and Climate Change Ministry, New Delhi in year 2010 to relocate 20 swamp deer from Kanha tiger reserve to Satpura tiger reserve. Last year 7 swam deer (3 males and 4 females) were released from Kanha tiger reserve to Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal in January 2015 and 8 swam deer (one male and 7 females) were released from Kanha tiger reserve into Satpura tiger reserve in March 2015. In this way, 16 swamp deer were released in Satpura tiger reserve. With 6 swamp deer released now, their number in Satpura tiger reserve has risen to 22.
Total 29 swamp deer have been relocated from Kanha tiger reserve including 7 shifted to Van Vihar National Park and 22 into Satpura tiger reserve.
