Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve's Historic Tiger Revival To Be Chronicled In Two-Year Documentary | Video

· Free Press Journal

Jaipur: After the famous tigress Machli of Ranthambore (National Tiger Reserve Forest) of Rajasthan, now a film will be made on Sariska Tiger Reserve Forest of Alwar. The Union Forest Ministry has called wildlife cinematographer and documentary filmmaker Nallamuthu to Alwar to make the movie. The movie, which will take two years to complete, will have the entire story of Sariska's forest. 

Union Forest Minister and Alwar MP Bhupendra Yadav said this while inaugurating the National Workshop on “Tiger Re-introduction: Opportunities & Challenges," organized to mark 18 years of tiger re-introduction in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, in Alwar on Sunday. On the occasion, Yadav released three important publications: Road Map on Active Management of Tigers in India, Booklet on Reintroduction and Recovery of Tigers in India, and the Annual Report of Project Cheetah (September 2024–December 2025).

The Road Map on Active Management of Tigers in India provides a framework for managing tiger populations across tiger reserves and landscapes by identifying potential source and sink areas and management actions based on ecological conditions.

 The Booklet on Reintroduction and Recovery of Tigers in India documents India's experience in restoring tiger populations through planned reintroduction and supplementation programs, including lessons from Sariska and Panna Tiger Reserves, while The Annual Report of Project Cheetah presents the progress made under India's cheetah reintroduction program, including cheetah translocations, habitat management, veterinary interventions, community engagement, and future priorities. 

The national workshop organized by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan, brought together field directors, chief wildlife wardens, and wildlife experts from across India's tiger landscapes to deliberate on science-based strategies for tiger reintroduction and active management.

Addressing the workshop, the minister said tiger conservation is not merely about protecting a single species but about conserving forests, watersheds, and the rich biodiversity that shares the tiger's habitat.

Describing the Sariska tiger reintroduction program as a historic milestone in wildlife conservation, Yadav said it represents the world's first successful scientific reintroduction of tigers into a landscape where the species had become locally extinct. He said the program has emerged as a global example of successful species restoration through scientific management, dedicated conservation efforts, and community participation.

The minister said Sariska has witnessed remarkable recovery from a situation of local extinction in 2005 to supporting 56 tigers today. Highlighting the country's achievements in tiger conservation, the minister said the number of tiger reserves has increased from 46 to 58 over the past decade. He also noted that India has successfully achieved the St. Petersburg Declaration target of doubling its wild tiger population by 2022.

The minister said that the successful reintroduction of tigers in Panna and Sariska was possible because of the support and participation of local communities. He noted that similar success could not be achieved in Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Odisha, due to the lack of community support.

The minister stressed that while efforts are made to attract tourists from across the country and abroad, equal importance should be given to the welfare and interests of local communities.

Yadav also said that in landscapes where the distribution of tigers and elephants overlaps, emphasis should be placed on maintaining and strengthening landscape connectivity.

Emphasizing the need for balanced conservation, Shri Yadav said, “Our priority is to ensure that our tigers are protected, our forests remain green and healthy, and local communities continue to prosper.”

The minister said the government's objective is not only to protect tigers but also to ensure that no species becomes extinct and that sustained efforts should be made for the recovery and re-establishment of threatened species. He said that as guardians of nature, conservation efforts must be guided by both a scientific approach and human values.

Those present on the dais included Rajasthan Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma; Director General, International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), S.P. Yadav; Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, EFCC, Sushil Kumar Awasthi; and NTCA Member Secretary Sanjay Kumar.

Read full story at source