Sundari (tigress)

Sundari was a tigress translocated from Madhya Pradesh to the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha, India in 2018 as part of a tiger relocation program aimed at boosting the tiger population in the reserve. The program was initiated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Sundari was one of two tigers, the other being a male named Mahavir (also known as MB2), moved to Satkosia.

The translocation effort faced significant challenges. Sundari was implicated in the deaths of two villagers in the vicinity of the tiger reserve, leading to public outcry and protests. Subsequently, she was captured in November 2018 and relocated to the Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Satkosia tiger relocation project was ultimately deemed unsuccessful. Mahavir also died during the translocation attempt, further adding to the controversy surrounding the program. The incident raised serious questions about the planning, implementation, and community engagement aspects of tiger relocation projects in India.