Rajasthan releases orphaned tiger cub into wild in first rewilding effort

Kota,UPDATED: Jun 24, 2026 20:32 IST

A male tiger rescued as an orphaned cub from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has been released into the wild at the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, in what officials said is the state's first scientific rewilding of an orphaned tiger cub. The animal, RVT-07, has been fitted with a radio collar, and forest department personnel, a monitoring team and rapid response units have been deployed to track its movement and ensure its safety.

The tiger was released on Tuesday night and eventually walked out of the enclosure on Wednesday noon after briefly stepping outside twice and returning. Experts said the rehabilitation and release of RVT-07 could serve as a model for the conservation and rewilding of orphaned tiger cubs across India.

RVT-07 is the male cub of tigress T-114 in Ranthambore. It was rescued when it was around two to three months old and shifted to Abheda Biological Park in Kota, where it was raised and trained for nearly 22 months. During this period, wildlife experts worked on developing its natural hunting instincts and survival skills.

As part of the rewilding programme, the tiger was moved on December 5, 2024, to a specially developed five-hectare rewilding enclosure at Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve. Over the following one-and-a-half years, forest officials and wildlife specialists continuously assessed its health, behaviour and hunting capabilities.

Following the recommendations of an expert committee and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, and after approval from the Rajasthan Chief Wildlife Warden, RVT-07 was fitted with a radio collar on June 7, 2026, to support post-release monitoring. The gates of the rewilding enclosure were opened at 6.15 pm on Tuesday, giving the tiger unrestricted access to the reserve's natural habitat.

Around 10 pm, RVT-07 made two attempts to move out of the enclosure and briefly stepped outside before returning, Chief Conservator of Forest Wildlife and Director of the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Kota, and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, Bundi, Sugna Ram Jat said on Wednesday. "The enclosure's gates remained fully open for the tiger to leave at any time and it eventually left the enclosure on Wednesday noon. However, it was likely to return anytime according to its natural instincts as the animal is accustomed to the place," he added.

Officials said the tiger's movements and behaviour will be monitored round the clock through GPS-VHF radio collar technology, radio telemetry, camera traps and field surveillance. Forest officials described the programme as a major milestone in wildlife conservation in Rajasthan. In India, tigers are assigned unique identification codes in which the letters refer to the reserve where the tiger is located, followed by a number identifying the animal.

With RVT-07 now released into the reserve and under continuous monitoring, officials said the effort marks an important step in Rajasthan's wildlife conservation work and may help shape future rewilding of orphaned tiger cubs in the country.

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