Thu. Mar 28th, 2024
Tigers spotted in Goa are from Karnataka: Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane.Photo Credit: Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary

Goa has no inhabitant tigers and the big cats spotted in Goa are originally from the forests of Karnataka, state Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Friday. Rane’s comments come in wake of resistance by villagers residing in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, who have gone against a tiger count study directed by the state forest department. 

News Agency IANS tweets, “Claiming that tigers spotted in Goa are merely those passing through the state, using its forest cover as a transition corridor, state Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said that there is no question of setting up a tiger reserve in Goa.”

“I have been hearing about the tiger for the last few days. The tiger enters Goa through a corridor before exiting the state. There are no resident tigers. There is no need to set up a tiger reserve in Goa and as long as I am minister there is no question of a tiger reserve,” Rane said in an interaction with media persons. 

The forest minister was asked about the government’s position on upgrading the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve. “We have not found a resident tiger in Goa. The information I have sourced from the forest department indicates that the tigers come in from Karnataka along the Mollem border, the Western Ghats serves as a natural corridor, and they exit. There is no resident tiger established in Goa. That is a fact,” the forest minister said.

Tigers have been a source of controversy over the last decade and more.

In 2009, one female tiger was virtually cut into half at the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, after it got snared into a metal trap. Just two years ago, four tigers, including cubs were poisoned to death, resulting in a series of arrests in the same sanctuary.

Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Northern Part of the state, near the village of Valpoi. The sanctuary is located in the North-east of Goa, in the taluka of Sattari. This sanctuary is known for the recent spotting of Bengal tigers within its grounds. There is a proposal to make it into a ‘Project Tiger’ tiger reserve.

One thought on “Tigers spotted in Goa are from Karnataka: Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane”
  1. Pls check which language he speaks. If he speaks kannada he is from Karnataka. If tiger speaks konkani naturally he is from Goa. So simple

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