An adult male tiger named 'Explorer' was reintroduced into the wild on Saturday morning, February 14, 2026, in the Godavari landscape of Papikonda National Park (PNP) in Andhra Pradesh. This release is part of Operation Stripes and happened eight days after the tiger was tranquilised. Explorer had walked more than 650 kilometers through a functional corridor connecting Central India and the Eastern Ghats before being tranquilised. Indian tiger conservationists called him innocent and noted that his good behaviour earned him a second chance in the wild. "At 9.30 a.m. on Saturday, the tiger has been released into the wild. It is healthy and walked with a gentle calmness. It displayed shyness in its behaviour during the release," said highly placed sources linked with Operation Stripes. The tiger was fitted with a satellite collar, which includes a GPS system to send location signals. Data on Explorer's movement is already being transmitted and recorded. This is the first time in Andhra Pradesh that a tiger is monitored this way, according to wildlife authorities. The satellite collar also has a VHF caller, allowing the team to track the tiger easily. In addition to the release, officials have started efforts to increase herbivore populations where Explorer was set free. Special teams from Rajahmundry Wildlife Management and other staff will watch the tiger closely until it finds its own territory. The team involved in tranquilising and releasing Explorer praised the success of this rehabilitation operation.