IAF airlifts tigress in India's 1st interstate tiger move
Big win for wildlife!
The Indian Air Force just flew a three-year-old tigress from Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to Ramgarh Vishdhari in Rajasthan—marking India's first-ever interstate tiger airlift.
The mission used an Mi-17 helicopter, with vets and forest officers making sure she was safe the whole way.
How did they pull this off?
Teams spent weeks tracking the tigress using 50 AI-powered camera traps, studying her every move to find the right moment.
Once she was located, experts tranquilized her gently, fitted a radio collar for monitoring, and placed her in a special crate designed for comfort during flight.
Why fly instead of drive?
Airlifting is way less stressful for tigers than long road trips through forests—which haven't gone well before.
This smooth operation sets a new standard for moving big cats safely and could help future conservation projects across India.