Rajasthan government is focusing big on promoting Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota, 168 kms from the famous Ranthambhore National Park.
There are currently 6 tigers in the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve which included three females, two males, and one cub. On the other hand Ranthambhore National Park has around 80 tigers.
Anand Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest and Environment said that a team would soon visit Mukundra Hills to study and evaluate possibilities of increasing numbers.
“We would soon visit the park. There are currently 6 tigers. We would evaluate the possibilities shifting more tigers in the region. This would boost wild life tourism in this sector also,” he said.
Ranthambhore V/s Mukundra Hills
Mukundra Hills spans over 759 sq km, featuring a 417 sq km core area filled with dense forests, hilly terrain, and rich fauna, including tigers, leopards, and crocodiles along the Chambal River. Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve spans across 1,334 sq. km with a core area covering 392 sq kms. There has been incidents of territorial fights between tigers in Ranthambhore National Park as the number of beasts is around 80 jostling for their control and command.
Easy sighting makes Ranthambhore popular destination
People prefer to visit Ranthambhore as presence of 80 tigers makes sightings easier in the Park. Moreover Ranthambhore is directly connected with Delhi circuit making visit convenient for tourists.
Presence of only 6 tigers in Mukundra is a big deterrent in sighting.
“Why people will visit Mukundra, which is 168 kms away from Ranthambhore when sighting is difficult,” asks a senior forest department official.
He said that government will ponder on shifting more tigers to Mukundra after clearance from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),” he said.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
