Maharashtra to transfer 4 tigers, 4 leopards to Jamnagar zoo

NAGPUR: Instead of taking some concrete steps to curb man-animal conflict in the region, the state government is looking towards Reliance-managed Greens Zoological, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), Jamnagar, by transferring surplus tigers and leopards in captivity to Gujarat.
According to reliable sources, the state, on January 3, 2023, granted permission to send four tigers and four leopards from Gorewada Rescue Centre in the city to the zoological park run by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).
Senior forest officials confirmed the development on anonymity. The GZRRC had sought tigers and leopards for their zoo on November 11, 2022. However, the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) had put the Reliance proposal in abeyance ostensibly to put tigers in the safari and give preference to the exchange of tigers and leopards with other zoos and get new species for the Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada Zoological Park.
However, as the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) permission was mandatory for the transfer, sources said the state PCCF (wildlife) Maheep Gupta on January 12, 2023, has written to CZA seeking permission to transfer these tigers and leopards.
At present, there are 21 tigers and 27 leopards in Gorewada. A pair of tigers was shifted to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) Rescue Centre, Borivili, on Wednesday. Apart from these animals in Gorewada, two tigers and two leopards are stranded at the Transit Treatment Centre (TTC), Chandrapur.
With the state’s political leadership considering the Reliance proposal to shift eight big cats to Jamnagar, getting CZA permission would be just a formality. However, the move has not augured well with wildlife conservationists.
“Instead of considering the proposal to expand Gorewada Rescue Centre’s capacity for additional 10 enclosures for tigers and leopards under CAMPA funds, the government is sending animals to the Reliance Zoo,” wildlife conservationists said.
“Secondly, while the CZA is expected to expedite the transfer proposal from Maharashtra, the exchange of tigers and leopards with Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and some other zoos in the country is being delayed. Gorewada will get no animals in exchange if the big cats are sent to Jamnagar,” they added.
Moreover, the state government is also sitting over a proposal to set up a tiger safari and rescue centre on 210 hectares in Chandrapur despite the CZA approving the proposal.
“The project can help curb the raging man-animal conflict in Chandrapur,” experts said.
While the forest department has no problem in transferring tigers and leopards to the Reliance Zoo, the city’s Maharajbagh Zoo is not being considered because it is being run by Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV).
“We are not averse to accommodating captured tigers provided the forest department shares expenses towards feeding these animals,” said SS Bawaskar, zoo in-charge.
FACT OF THE MATTER
* Chandrapur-Gadchiroli districts facing severe man-animal conflict
* At least a dozen problem tigers have been captured in the last one month exceeding the capacity in Gorewada
* Gorewada has 21 tigers and 27 leopards in captivity
* On November 16, 2022, Reliance Zoo sought tigers and leopards from Maharashtra
* State approves Reliance’s proposal to transfer 4 tigers and 4 leopards on January 3
* On January 12, PCCF (wildlife) writes to CZA for permission