Nagpur sanctuary’s star attraction has been missing since April; wildlife lovers announce reward for the 250-kg tiger
There’s a big reward for anyone with credible information about the missing star of Nagpur’s Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary – six-year-old tiger Jai. The 250-kg feline has been missing for three months now and a worried forest department does not know where to look for him. The last signal from Jai’s radio collar was received on April 18 near Pauni in Bhandara district. The Rs 50,000 reward has been announced by Conservation Lenses and Wildlife (CLaW), a group of wildlife lovers and photographers. Amit Jain, a founder of ClaW, that has 63,000 followers on a social networking site, said, “All our members have decided to pitch in towards the reward, which may act as an incentive for people to keep their eyes wide open for Jai.”
Wildlife lovers have also requested that the search for Jai be started with the help of the Special Tiger Protection Force. Pic/Amit Panariya
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Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantivar, however, does not believe Jai is missing and said he may just be roaming where no one has looked yet. “It would be wrong to say that Jai is missing. A tiger usually has a huge territory and we are sure that he must be roaming somewhere. I have asked the forest secretary to look into the same and update me his whereabouts.”
There are various theories doing the rounds on Jai’s disappearance, one being that he may have left the territory because of the arrival of other dominant tigers in the area. Wildlife lovers say this is not possible, because Jai is the most dominant tiger in the area and it would not be easy for a new tiger to take over his territory. The forest department and group of wildlife lovers with the help of more than 10 wildlife NGOs have already started search operations. Wildlife lovers have also requested that the search be started with the help of Special Tiger Protection Force from Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) along with CRPF staff.
Jain said it was Jai who took the sanctuary from relative obscurity to the tourist hotspot it is now, thus providing jobs for locals. His willingness to oblige camera-toting tourists has made him the best-loved inmate of the park.
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