BHOPAL : Wildlife activists have demanded that Kerwan, Bhadbhada and Kaliasot should be declared Conservation Reserve Unit and Ratapani sanctuary as Tiger Reserve to check the movement of tigers in residential colonies.
The Ratapani Sanctuary, which is just 60 km from the state capital, is the main source of the big cats which are straying into the city. Tiger movement has increased in outskirts of the state capital. These Tigers have been stalking the jungles of Samardha, Kathotia and Kerwan. They come from Ratapani through a forest corridor.
These tigers would have not strayed out had the Ratapani sanctuary been developed as a tiger reserve as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already given its approval for the same. After an inordinate delay in notifying the sanctuary as a tiger reserve, wildlife activist Ajay Dube filed a petition in the High court.
Commenting on the Nabibagh incident, Activist Ajay Dubey said, “If the said areas are declared Conservation Reserve Unit, which happens to be smaller than sanctuary, there will be funds available to
develop the areas and check the illegal entry of humans.” Previously, tiger was sighted at Mother Bull Dairy Farm, Kaliasot (near Jagran Lake city university) and now it was sighted at Karond. There have been many reports of the sighting of tigers in the Kaliasot, Bhadbhadha and Neelbad areas.
