23.5.21

Maharashtra: Tigress spotted with 2 cubs in conservation reserve

A tigress, along with her two cubs, was spotted in the Phonda Ghat area of Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district late on Wednesday night.

The area comes under the Amboli-Dodamarg forest range, one of the seven ranges along the Western Ghats declared conservation reserves by the Maharashtra government last year.

Divisional forest officer (Kolhapur) Vishal Mali said, “A truck driver, who had gone to Konkan from Kolhapur to bring laterite stone, spotted the tigress and the two cubs in the Phonda Ghat region. The truck driver could capture a video showing the cubs jumping upon a tree. He shared the video clip with the forest office.”

Mali said, “We have informed the foresters in Sawantwadi about the spotting. Altogether 30 trap cameras will be installed in the Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary to confirm its existence and prohibit human interference in the area.”

Forest department officials had in the end of April spotted a tiger for the first time in one the conservation reserves along the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. The forest officials had said the sighting of a tiger was of major significance as it highlighted the purpose for which the forest ranges were declared conservation reserves.

In December 2020, the state wildlife board headed by CM Uddhav Thackeray had given the conservation reserve tag to the Amboli-Dodamarg, Chandgad, Ajara-Bhudargad, Gaganbawda, Panhalagad, Vishalgad and Jor-Jambhali ranges along the Western Ghats.

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