Guwahati: Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has completed all preparations to send around 50 wild Asiatic water buffaloes to Kanha Tiger Reserve. This relocation will be done in different phases as part of a wildlife conservation project.
According to forest officer Arun Vignesh, the transfer will begin with a small number of animals. While the earlier plan was to move about 15 buffaloes in the first phase, officials may now start with only 5–6 animals. This will help them understand how the process works before moving more buffaloes later.
The capture of buffaloes in Kaziranga is planned for March 18 and 19. The animals will be safely tranquilised (sedated) before being transported.
Kohora Central Range Officer Bibhuti Ranjan Gogoi said that a practice exercise for moving the animals started on Monday and will continue until tomorrow. This is to make sure the relocation is done safely and without any problems.
This project is part of a bigger conservation plan. In the past, Kanha Tiger Reserve had its own population of wild buffaloes, but they disappeared over time. Now, forest officials want to bring them back to restore the natural ecosystem.
Experts also believe that moving some buffaloes from Kaziranga to other protected areas will help protect the species in the long run by increasing their habitat range.
A special team called the Wild Buffalo Translocation Implementation Committee is monitoring the entire operation.
Kaziranga currently has more than 1,000 wild Asiatic buffaloes, making it one of the most important places for this species. Officials also mentioned that similar projects have been successful before, such as relocating buffaloes from Manas Tiger Reserve to forest areas in Chhattisgarh.
