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Union Minister has a date with tigers

Sunny Sebastian

JAIPUR: Can you believe this? Union Minister of State for Forests S.Raghupathy had a surfeit of tiger sightings at the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan within a duration of one hour on Wednesday that he refused to see any more of the felines. The Minister, who was in Ranthambhore to attend a meeting of the field directors of the Project Tiger reserves, saw as many as six tiger cubs and three adult cats in three locations before leaving the Park for Delhi.

Soon after entering the Park from the Jogi Mahal side, Mr.Raghupathy could sight three tiger cubs at Rajbagh region. The cubs’ mother is the famous Jhalra tigress, named after the place she rules over in the jungle.

Barely 10 kms ahead in the Park, now awaiting the first showers of the monsoon, the Minister spotted a tigress with three cubs at Katcheeda near Bakola, another well known destination in the 400 sq km territory for those who insist on a “dekko” of the royal animal.

By the time Mr.Raghupathy, who was accompanied by R.S. Shekhawat, field director Ranthambhore National Park and Rajesh Gopal, Chairman Project Tiger, also spotted an adult tiger collared by the Wildlife Institute of India for tracking and experiments.

However, Mr.Raghupathy declined any more tigers even as information on the presence of three more tigers came through the wireless communication system. It was time for him to leave for Delhi; and with the satisfaction that despite all odds and the gloomy scenario worldwide, the tiger is burning bright in Ranthambhore!

“Ranthabhore remains the best tiger reserve as far as the sightings are concerned. The field directors who attended the meeting were telling us that in some of the reserves for months and years together they don’t come across any tiger,” noted Rajpal Singh, member State Standing Committee on Tigers, talking to The Hindu from Ranthambhore. According to Mr.Singh, the Park has at present 32 adult tigers against 26 in 2005. And this number is exclusive of the cubs.

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