Back

It was reported earlier this month that a Bengal tiger was spotted in the state of Gujarat after a gap of 27 years. The feline, spotted near Gir National Park and Sanctuary by a teacher, led to camera traps being installed around a watering hole. The trap camera images confirmed the presence of the striped big-cat. The Bengal tiger spotted in the state’s Mahisagar district, is about 5-7 years old, and has supposedly travelled roughly 300kms from Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, MP, through densely populated areas to reach its current location. This astonishing feat proves that animal corridors and wildlife buffer zones take precedence over urban and rural infrastructural development, providing animals with the right to move from one area to another. This brings us to the question of cohabitation of 2 dominant species of predators in the same area. Can the tiger and the Asiatic lions of Gir coexist peacefully? While the Asiatic lions are strong in a cohesive group, the Bengal tiger, while being a solitary animal, is stronger of the two. For now, the Forest Department of Gujarat needs to monitor the tiger’s movements, while sensitizing the local population about the location and movement of the tiger and the need for its conservation.

 

— As reported by Hindustan Times

 

Cover Photo: The tiger captured by a night vision camera in the forest of Mahisagar, February 12, 2019.(HT PHOTO)

About the Author /

India’s premium wildlife and natural history web portal and magazine It was somewhere out there in the wilderness that an idea was born. An idea called Saevus. A dream, a vision to bring India’s amazing bio-diversity to every home. To celebrate the bold, beautiful and dynamic India, much of it unseen and unexplored. It was the coming together of seasoned entrepreneurs, ace photographers, naturalists, and storytellers to captivate your imagination and arouse your consciousness.

Post a Comment