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...
India’s fixation on coal continues.As the country increases its coal production, more and more forests are impacted, threatening the iconic species like tigers and elephants. Coal mining permissions in Chattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand ,an elephant corridor, has already stirred a major controversy .The country’s rapacious pursuit of coal has pushed the industry into another jungle, this time a tiger corridor in Maharashtra, threatening destroy forests and fragment the tiger’s already threatened population. Wildlife activists are alert after an Odisha-based mining company sought the permission of Maharashtra forest department to divert 147 hectares of land for coal mining in Yavatmal district of north eastern Maharashtra. Coal Block All Set To Threaten Tiger Corridor In May this year, the an Odisha based company sought the state forest department’s permission to divert 147 hectares of known tiger habitat, in Yavatmal district’s Pandharkawada forest divisi...