Groundbreaking Gaur Translocation in India

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&Beyond has been at the forefront of a groundbreaking mass translocation of 19 gaur (Indian bison) to restore the species in Bandhavgarh National Park. This is the first successful mass translocation of gaur EVER attempted in south Asia, and it has laid the foundation for further specialised wildlife relocations in India.

The 19 gaur were darted and immobilised by veterinary specialists in Kanha National Park and transported in modified vehicles to Bandhavgarh National Park, adjacent to &Beyond Mahua Kothi Jungle Lodge. They were held in pens for observation, and then moved to a large mass capture and loading boma for acclimatisation before being released into the wild — never before undertaken in India.

As a pioneer in responsible sustainable tourism, &Beyond’s model of restoring and conserving regional biodiversity has often required animal relocations and reintroductions. As a result, the company has considerable experience in this area, and to date, Group Conservation Manager, Les Carlisle, has planned and implemented the translocation of more than 40 000 heads of wildlife in several African countries.

Carlisle is the expert who led the gaur relocation after five years of collaboration and planning between the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh, the Wildlife Institute of India and &Beyond. The historic translocation was a priority project identified by Indian conservationist Dr H.S. Pabla, the Head of Wildlife, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and Sarath Champati, &Beyond’s Senior Naturalist.

&Beyond provided the expertise, training and equipment, and the modified vehicles were donated jointly by &Beyond and Taj Safaris. Supporting Carlisle was a team including senior Indian field directors and veterinarians, as well as experts from the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Game Capture Unit in South Africa, Dr Dave Cooper and Mr Jeff Cooke.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to participate in a pioneering Indian wildlife translocation, planning and execution process”, said Carlisle. “The people involved were totally professional and their determination to make a difference to the future of conservation will mean that the future of the tiger, the overall indicator of the health of the Madhya Pradesh forests, will surely be improved.”

Among the 19 bison relocated was a pregnant female, who has since given birth to a healthy calf. This confirms the success of the entire relocation and proves that the animals are now relaxed and adapting to their new environment without any stress.

Congratulations to Les and the entire team for making this extraordinary feat a resounding success!