Jaipur: Less than three weeks after walking out of its rewilding enclosure, rehabilitated tiger RVT-07 is beginning to behave like a wild resident of the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve. The male tiger has been interacting with resident tigresses, making successful kills and marking its territory — developments that forest officials describe as encouraging milestones in Rajasthan’s first scientific rewilding programme.RVT-07 voluntarily left the five-hectare rewilding enclosure on June 24 and has since been roaming freely through the reserve. Based on continuous monitoring, officials said the tiger is attempting to establish its own territory in the natural forest.Chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and field director of the Mukandra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), Kota, said, “One of the most significant observations has been its interaction with resident tigresses RVT-05 and RVT-06. Such interactions indicate that the tiger is adapting naturally and displaying normal behaviour expected of a free-ranging male.”
RVT 07 roams freely in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve after its release under the state’s first scientific rewilding programme, showing encouraging signs of adapting to the wild.
RVT-07 has also been leaving scratch marks on trees, scent-spraying and carrying out territorial marking across the landscape. These are key behavioural traits associated with territorial male tigers.The tiger has successfully hunted prey in the wild, demonstrating that it has developed the skills needed to survive independently without human intervention. Officials said the observations point to the success of the rehabilitation process.The forest dept is tracking the tiger round the clock using a GPS-VHF radio collar, radio telemetry, camera traps and field teams. Every movement and behavioural pattern is being scientifically documented.A forest official said the early findings were highly encouraging and that monitoring would continue to assess the tiger’s long-term adaptation, territorial establishment and integration into the reserve’s wild population.
