Tigress with three cubs spotted in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa
Tigress with three cubs spotted in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa
Last week, an adult tigress and her two cubs were spotted by villagers and motorists traveling along NH 748, who recorded videos of the encounter within the sanctuary.
An adult tigress and three cubs have been spotted in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary in Goa marking the first time evidence of the species has been recorded in the forests bordering the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka since 2020.
The recent development has delighted wildlife enthusiasts in Goa, as it marks the first sighting since 2020, when a tigress and her three cubs tragically died after ingesting poisoned buffalo meat. Four dhangar forest residents were apprehended for their role in this incident.
“Eight days ago, when I visited the area, I came across scat of a tiger. Besides that, in the vicinity of the Anjuna dam (located within the sanctuary) several people including truck drivers have reported seeing the tiger along the route (Chorla Ghat between north Goa and Belgavi) and other reports have come from the village of Ponsuli where the people have seen the tigress and cubs heading towards the villages of Karnataka,” Rajendra Kerkar, an environmentalist and resident of Keri village in the sanctuary.
“We have not received any reports and if there was a sighting I would have known. Our camera traps are operational but their data is confidential,” principal chief conservator of forest Kamal Datta said.
The forest department has yet to confirm the sightings, which may influence the state government’s appeal against a Bombay High Court ruling that mandates the declaration of the sanctuary as a tiger reserve, based on a recommendation from the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
Ponsuli village is situated on the hillsides of the Western Ghats, with Maharashtra’s villages to one side and Karnataka’s Chorla village on the opposite side.
The State Forest Department dismissed reports of a tigress and her two cubs being seen in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, despite environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar’s claim that the department consistently denies the presence of tigers in Goa. Chief Wildlife Warden Umakant stated that an analysis of the viral video revealed it was three years old. He further mentioned that the department conducted a thorough reconnaissance of the area and consulted local residents, but no recent tiger sightings were reported.
