Significance of mate selection and adult sex ratio in tiger reintroduction/reinforcement programs

Translocations of large carnivores like tiger to restore extirpated populations are increasingly becoming important conservation tools in the face of persistent anthropogenic pressures and relentless habitat loss. Reintroduction success in Panna Tiger Reserve, India was variously attributed to high genetic diversity, less anthropogenic disturbance and stress, efficient execution and technological integrations. Here, we establish parentage relationships and explore the potential of mate choice and appropriate adult sex ratio to explain the successful reintroduction in Panna. We used a combination of radio-telemetry and genetic analyses to understand mating interactions of translocated tigers and their outcomes. Surprisingly, relatedness and parentage analyses of nine cubs born in 2010–2012 suggested that five cubs (55.5%) were not sired by the single translocated male tiger, emphasizing the difficulty of assessing the persistence of tiger presence over a large geographic area. Genotype data of tigers originally from Panna prior to the present reintroduced population revealed that four cubs were sired by an original Panna tiger which possibly ranged transiently within the released tigers’ home ranges. Presence of additional male for mate choice can be a strong factor for successful reintroduction of tigers in Panna. Although number of females released is a good indicator of reintroduction success, the number of males released is also a very important factor for success. We hypothesize that while tigers live in female-dominated population structure within male territories, mate selection strategies operate strongly between sexes. Translocation programs should therefore deliberate on this aspect of mate selection and accordingly consider founder compositions to achieve desirable results. This also reinforces the need for post-release monitoring and thorough investigations into intraspecific interactions and behavior which will facilitate proper management and revival of tiger populations.