Tigress from Ranthambhore quite at home in Kota

Identified as T-35, the tigress had left the wildlife reserve in the Sawai Madhopur district in the second week of January 2010 and has not returned since.

"The tigress treats a sizeable chunk of the forests of Kota and Baran districts along the Kali Sindh River as her territory and moves about 13 to 14 kms daily within the area," said forest ranger Rambabu Sharma.

Sharma said the the wild animal was finding the environment "congenial" here as the forest area along the Kali Sindh river had ample water and sufficient prey, such as cheetals, wild boars and bulls.

Sharma claimed that the presence of the tigress in the area had served to check illegal activities in the forests here like the felling of trees for firewood.

"The tigress is very young. It was just two-and-a half years old when it arrived here, but now it has attained adulthood," the forest ranger said.

It is learnt that several attempts have been made to catch the animal and take her back to Ranthambhore National Park but those were foiled by the dense forests, Sharma said, adding that, however, the forest department still intends to shift the feline back to the Ranthambhore reserve.