Angul: Authorities of the Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) on Friday afternoon released the first tiger into the forest from its enclosure.

The tiger had been in the enclosure at Raigoda of Satkosia since June 21 after it had got translocated from the Kanha forest in Madhya Pradesh.

Additional chief conservator of forest of Angul circle Sudarshan Panda on Friday said the three years old male tiger was found to be in normal health and psychological status. The tiger was successfully released into the wild after opening the gate of the enclosure.

The STR officials and experts of the Wildlife Institute of India are monitoring its movement inside the reserve forest round the clock.

Additional chief secretary of forest Suresh Mahapatra, principal chief conservator of forests Sandeep Tripathi and Additional chief conservator of forests S. Panda and divisional forest officers S.M.T. Rahman and V. Katrik monitored the release of the tiger. "The tiger has been in normal condition inside the forest area," a press note issued by the department said.

Now, there is one tigress left in the enclosure. It was brought on June 28 from Bandhavgarh. It is expected to be released to the forest shortly.

On Thursday, the National Tiger Conservation Authority's member secretary Anup Kumar Nayak, during his two-day visit to the STR, advised the authorities to release the first tiger as soon as possible according to the protocol. Nayak had asked the authorities to prepare a post-release monitoring strategy.

Nayak had held talks with the forest officials of Narasinghpur west and east as well as those of the Hindol range about how to manage the post-release situation of the tigers. As regard to the translocation of the four remaining tigers, he had said it would be considered after the monsoon.