Tiger walks 500 km from Yavatmal to Solapur, set for relocation to Sahyadri

Yavatmal: A young male tiger from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary has made quite the trek, walking about 500 kilometers to reach Solapur. The Maharashtra Forest Department is gearing up to capture him and relocate him to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, which is about 300 kilometers from Mumbai.

Forest officials are on it! They’ve decided to capture the tiger, who made his way from Yavatmal to Dharashiv in Solapur. A team from the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve will be heading to Dharashiv soon to start the capture process. They’ll fit him with a radio collar before he heads off to his new home.

The forest department, along with the Pune-based RESQ Charitable Trust, has been keeping a close eye on the tiger’s movements. They’ve set up camera traps to track him, and right now, he’s hanging out in the Barshi taluka of Solapur. It’s pretty fascinating stuff!

This tiger is the cub of a tigress named T22 from Tipeshwar and was born there in 2022. Recently, some farmers in Solapur reported an uptick in cattle attacks, which led the forest department to install those camera traps. To their surprise, they found out that a tiger was roaming around, marking the first sighting of a tiger in Yedshi Ramalinga Wildlife Sanctuary.

At about 2.5 years old, this young male is likely on the lookout for new territory. He’s been moving between Solapur and Dharashiv, which is quite the journey for a young tiger.

This isn’t the first time a tiger has made such a trek. Back in June 2019, a tiger named Walker traveled from Tipeshwar to Dnyanganga Sanctuary, covering nearly 3,000 kilometers! That’s a record for the longest walk by a tiger tracked with a radio collar. Sadly, after the collar was removed, there’s been no word on Walker’s whereabouts.

In 2021, another young male tiger, T3C1, made a similar journey from Tipeshwar to Gautala Autram Sanctuary, covering 330 kilometers without being spotted. It’s amazing how these tigers navigate their way through the landscape!

So, keep an eye out for updates on this adventurous tiger as he gets ready for his new home in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. It’s an exciting time for wildlife enthusiasts!