MP Govt May Rope In Vanatara for Gene Mapping of Tigers
The gene mapping of tigers will help improve conservation of the big cat by creating a diversified gene pooling to enhance the adaptability and resilience of the species.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to rope in the Vantara Wildlife Rescue Centre of Jamnagar in Gujarat to conduct gene mapping of the wild tigers in the state.
The Madhya Pradesh government is likely to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Anant Ambani-run wildlife rescue Centre for the purpose, a senior forest officer told this newspaper here on Thursday.
A high-level official team had recently visited the Vantara Wildlife Rescue Centre to study the conservation works at the facility which serves as a rescue, rehabilitation, and care Centre for various endangered species, the forest officer said, unwilling to be quoted.
The gene mapping of tigers will help improve conservation of the big cat by creating a diversified gene pooling to enhance the adaptability and resilience of the species.
Besides, the gene mapping will also help identify the tigers involved in the attack on human beings, the forest officer said.
“The Vantara Wildlife Rescue Centre, which has a high standard research wing, will transfer the expertise on gene mapping to the Madhya Pradesh forest department following the proposed MoU”, the forest officer said.
The gene mapping will also help in identifying the tigers which migrate to other states and create a diversified gene pool by copulating with the female tigers of different genes, the forest officer said.
The biggest advantage of gene mapping is to identify the tigers indulged in conflicts with human beings easily, sources said.
Madhya Pradesh has earned the tag of ‘Tiger State’ for housing the highest number of 785 tigers in the country, as per the latest census of the big cats.
Official records say there has been a rise of human-tiger conflict by 40 percent in the state in the last five years.
The saliva or hair samples are taken at the attack site to match with the DNA database of the tigers to identify the tiger involved in the incident.
The state government is also planning to set up two new wildlife rescue Centres in Ujjain and Jabalpur with the help from the Vantara Wildlife Rescue Centre, the forest officer said.
The Central Zoo Authority has accorded in principle approval for the project and the work on these two Centres will commence once the body gives its final nod.