Click to play videoNew Delhi: Is Panna National park in Madhya Pradesh the next Sariska? There are conflicting reports that park's last remaining male tiger may have gone missing.
The Forest Department meanwhile is introducing female tigers to restore the park. But that might not really help if the big cat has been wiped off in Panna.
Speculation is rife in Panna National Park Madhya Pradesh - how many tigers does the Park have? Experts say that the Park may have lost its entire tiger population and its a repeat of what happened in Sariska in Rajasthan.
Says tiger scientist and conservation activist, Dr Raghu Chundawat, "I was in the park for a month and I didn't see a tiger. There is a possibility that the tiger might have gone extinct in the park."
Scientists like Dr Chundawat - who first rung alarm bells - now fear that even the last male tiger may have gone missing making the recent plans to reintroduce two female tigers in Panna as redundant.
"First thing they should do is ensure safety of the male tiger and then bring in the female," said Dr Chundawat.
But the state government insists that tigers will be tranquilised, airlifted and brought to the park.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Wildlife, Dr H S Pabla says, "We are ready with all the preparations. We are just waiting for the signal from the Air Force."
Has the tiger gone extinct from another of the country's ace National Park? If yes, then is the park safe enough for the new set of tigers? These are the questions that the Forest Department now needs to look into.
(With inputs from Juhi Chaudhary in New Delhi and Hemender Sharma in Bhopal)
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