The iconic male tiger, admired by thousands of tourists and feared by rivals, reportedly died after a fierce clash in the Khitauli range. Bandhavgarh National Park has lost one of its most recognizable and beloved tigers. Pujari (priest in English) , the majestic male who ruled hearts as much as territories , is believed to have died following a violent territorial clash with D1, another dominant male from the Khitauli range. Tourist guides noticed his sun-salutation poses at water bodies and a priest like calm in the cat, giving him the moniker. For wildlife lovers and regular visitors to Bandhavgarh, the news marks the end of an unforgettable chapter in the park’s rich tiger history. Several WhatsApp groups of tourists, guides, and wildlife enthusiasts have been flooded with tributes to the iconic tiger. While many stories circulating after Pujari’s death may not fully conform to scientific wildlife interpretations, they reflect the immense popularity of the big cat and t...
The buzz created by Indian media which carried reports based upon adverse comments made by some individual wildlife experts on the Cheetah project seems to have alerted the South African government. This coupled with the presence of leopards has further delayed the project atleast for a month. Meanwhile, the top bureaucrats of Union ministry of environment forest and climate change are in a tizzy over delay in translocation of the animal, the project closely monitored by the prime minister’s office (PMO) also. Meanwhile the Union environment ministry on said the date for the re-introduction of cheetahs in the “historical ranges” of the country has not been decided yet and media reports about the big cats being stuck in transit are “completely unfounded”. What is Causing Delay ? Cheetah was scheduled to have arrived in India by August 15 but its flight continued to be delayed by some or other reason for the past over a year. A recent tweet from Namibia on the Independe...