Angul: Satkosia Tiger Reserve will welcome three pairs of tigers from Madhya Pradesh.

"A strike by forest field staff in Madhya Pradesh is going on. Once it is over, the process of translocation of the six tigers will begin. Initially, we will bring one pair of tigers before bringing the other two pairs in later phases. All the necessary preparations and official formalities have been completed and sanctions from all authorities concerned have been obtained to bring the big cats to Satkosia" said additional chief conservator of forests (Angul circle) Sudarshan Panda.

The state's second tiger reserve, Satkosia is spread over five districts - Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Boudh, and Nayagarah- currently has two tigers.

The Odisha government had, a few months ago, decided to increase the state's tiger population and selected Satkosia because of its habitat that is suitable for tigers. It had applied for permission from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and the National Tiger Conservation Authority. It then approached the of Madhya Pradesh government, which agreed to part with six tigers from Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna national parks.

"We got permission from the ministry and other agencies. We have also reorganised the area and prepared an enclosure to locate these tigers for some time," said Panda.

The reserve has an area of 963.87sqkm - 789.52sqkm in the Satkosia gorge sanctuary and 168.35sqkm in Baisipalli sanctuary. The area will be expanded by 172.83sqkm. There are 118 villages in the sanctuary area, of which 104 have been excluded from the reserve. Of the remaining 14, six are uninhibited and one has been relocated.

The tiger reserve authorities have taken all necessary measures to make the stay of the new tigers safe.

An enclosure has been built over five acres of land, two veterinary doctors have been posted, while two scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India are already at the location to study the tigers in the enclosure, said Panda.

He said there had been two previous attempts to translocate tigers in Madhya Pradesh, but this is the first time that an inter-state translocation is taking place.