Tigress Chanda Begins Journey to Revive Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

On November 13, 2025, a major conservation milestone was achieved in Maharashtra as the much-awaited tiger translocation project in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve officially began. As part of 'Operation Tara', a team from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve departed with a tranquilized tigress named Chanda, who is being relocated to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

This translocation marks the first phase of a larger plan approved by the central government to move a total of eight tigers from Tadoba and Pench reserves to Sahyadri in phases. Chanda, a three-year-old tigress, comes from a celebrated lineage as the offspring of Tadoba's well-known tigers Chhota Matka and Journey.

Upon arrival at Sahyadri, Chanda will be quarantined in a holding enclosure for acclimatization before being released into the wild within the reserve. Her movements will be closely monitored using a radio collar to ensure her safe adaptation to the new habitat. Currently, Sahyadri hosts three male tigers, and the introduction of Chanda is expected to enhance the park's breeding potential and help revive its tiger population.

The operation, involving coordination between the Tadoba, Sahyadri, and state wildlife wings, is being hailed as a significant conservation milestone for western Maharashtra, a region that has long struggled to rebuild its tiger population.