Sanjay Gandhi National Park set to welcome two new tigers

Sanjay Gandhi National Park currently has a total of five tigers. File pic

In good news for Sanjay Gandhi National Park visitors, a male and a female tiger will soon be brought here from Nagpur's Gorewada Zoo. The tigers will join the other big cats in the park's captive tiger safari section. Sunil Limaye, principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF)-wildlife, said, "We will soon be sending a male and a female tiger from Gorewada zoo to SGNP. The male, aged over two years, captured from Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station and the adult female captured from Kondegav will be sent to SGNP."

According to sources, both the tigers were captured in February this year - the female was captured from the buffer zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) after a human-wildlife conflict incident while the male tiger was captured from Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS). The captive tiger and lion safari at SGNP, one of the highest visited national parks in the country, started in the 1990s and has been one of the prominent tourist attractions. Tourists coming to the park are taken in minibuses for the safari where the captive tigers are released in a huge and large area that is fenced from all sides. But with the animals either dying of old age or illnesses, the authorities are concerned.

According to Range Forest Officer and Superintendent of Tiger & Lion Safari at SGNP Vijay Barabde, currently the park has a total of three female - Lakshmi, 13; Durga, 2; and Bijali, 12 - and two male tigers - Bajarang, 7, and Bajirao, 8.

5
No. of tigers, three female and two male, currently at SGNP