The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has agreed in principle to include the Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary in Bundi in Project Tiger. However, a final nod from the authority will follow after a detailed plan is submitted to it by the state government. The NTCA decision follows a twoday visit by director Rajesh Gopal to the Ranthambore national park. Gopal was accompanied by state forest officials. The Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary in Bundi serves as a corridor between the Ranthambore national park and the Darrah Sanctuary which was lately declared a tiger reserve. Gopal's visit came on the heels of a plethora of problems surrounding Ranthambore that is bursting at the seams with an ever-expanding tiger population. “Ranthambore is seeing a rise in tiger population. As a result not only is it sheltering injured mother tigresses but also orphaned cubs. Currently, the cubs of T-5 are on a plateau and it is good sign that they are taking meat but we cannot leave them there for long and perhaps Sariska will be an option for them,” said Rajesh Gopal. Cases of man-animal conflict has been on the rise with the big cats attacking villagers and forest guards. Not only had tigress T-13 gone outside the park near the Chambal with its cubs but recently even tigress T-26 that inhabits the Khadhar-Sawai Madhopur area ventured out with its three cubs and attacked a man. What followed was a daylong uprising by villagers and two forest staff being beaten up while a vehicle of the forest department was smashed. About three days ago a child in fifth grade was attacked by, what the villagers say, a tiger. Similar attacks in the past few months and of man-animal conflict have been reported from at least six other areas. “What we hope to do in the forthcoming days is to develop the satellite areas, some of which are already critical reserves, in a better way so as to take a bit of pressure off from Ranthambore. Even Sariska will help reduce pressure from the park. But of course we will not do a haphazard relocation of tigers. We will follow a recovery plan as suggested by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII),” said Gopal. On the agenda is also to develop the Kaila Devi and Man Singh sanctuaries which are already hosting a number of tigers and exploit them better. Some relocation of villages are also on the cards. “There has been some good relocation done by the department. A huge village near Indala has been relocated. There is another one near the Bodal area which will provide a much larger area,” he said.