^{WTI and Chhattisgarh Forest Department personnel radio collaring Prince}

Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh, February 7, 2018: Working in collaboration with the Chhattisgarh Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India’s Central India Wild Buffalo Recovery Project team successfully deployed radio collars on two wild buffaloes last week. The collaring operation was conducted on February 3 in the presence of Dr SK Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife); Mr OP Yadav, Field Director Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve; Mr Vivekanand Reddy, Deputy Director Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve;  Dr JK Jadia, Veterinary Officer;  Dr PK Chandan, Veterinary Officer; and Dr Rajendra Mishra, Project Head, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

“Satellite collaring of free ranging individuals provides vital data on their home ranges and allows for systematic monitoring and protection.”

The two radio collared wild buffaloes, ‘Prince’ and ‘Mohan’, were born to ‘Asha’, the lone breeding female in the region, under the project’s captive breeding programme on October 4, 2009 and October 2, 2011 respectively. Prince is Asha’s second calf and Mohan is her third; as they had both attained adulthood, it was decided that they should be radio collared and allowed to range free in the forests of Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve.

“Now that Prince and Mohan have been released into the wild they will establish their own home ranges like other free-ranging wild buffaloes”, said WTI’s Dr Rajendra Mishra. “Satellite collaring of such individuals provides vital data on their home ranges and allows for systematic monitoring and protection.” A team of experienced local trackers jointly employed by WTI and the forest department will constantly track the movement of the two wild buffaloes.

Wildlife Trust of India’s Central India Wild Buffalo Recovery Project is working to stabilise the critically endangered wild buffalo population in Udanti and Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuaries by effecting a number of ex situ and in situ interventions. The project is being implemented in partnership with the Chhattisgarh Forest Department, with support from Oracle.

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^{Prince and Mohan with their satellite collars, following their release into the wild}