With the Centre finally giving its nod, the state government is all set to relocate two more tigers, a male and a female, from the Ranthambore National Park to the Sariska Tiger Reserve by the first week of July.

According to sources, a team comprising Aparajita Dutta of the National Conservation Trust and AJT John Singh, former professor of the Wildlife Trust of India, have already submitted a list of 10 probable tigers from the Ranthambore National Park who will be zeroed in for relocation.

As the government intends to shift only two tigers to Sariska, the wide choice of 10 tigers would check any further delay in executing the plan to relocate the big cats. Sariska's tiger population was wiped out a few years ago due to rampant poaching, while the Ranthambore has nearly 40 of the wild cats. At present, Sariska has two female and a male tiger which were airlifted from the Ranthambore between July 2008 and early 2009.

However, the second phase of the translocation plan got stalled in view of the reports of genetic incompatibility among tigers after they failed to breed. A section of wildlife experts also expressed apprehensions that relocating the tigers without conducting a DNA test on them to see if they belong to the same family may prove disastrous.

Now, the state forest officials say the DNA testing will continue alongside relocation as the former consumes a lot of time. Though the cats have been collected and sent for the DNA testing, the Forest Department is primarily focusing on the relocation of the two tigers that have strayed out of the Ranthambore to Kota and Kailadevi. However, if they fail to locate them prior to the scheduled date of relocation they will shift other identified tigers.

The Two tigers, a male and a female, had strayed away from the Ranthambore earlier this year and are yet to return to the park. Forest officials have been keeping a watch over them and are trying to get them back to the reserve. The purpose behind shifting the strayed big cats is that it will not disturb the gene pool.

Confirming the development, Rajasthan Minister for Forest and Environment Ram Lal Jat attributed the Centre’s nod to sustain efforts of Dutta and Singh in this direction.

He said the Centre’s approval to relocate transient tigers from the Ranthambore to the Sariska has come in response to Dutta’s letter regarding the rising pressure in the Ranthambore due to the increase in population of big cats there.

The Forest Department has already got the pre-requisite permission for using a helicopter for airlifting the tigers, while researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India and officials of the State Forest Department are camping in the Ranthambore, keeping a track of the identified tigers.