Sultan of Nagpur to date SGNP tigresses

This picture has been used for representational purpose only

If all goes well the tigresses at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) will soon go on a date with the 'Sultan' of Nagpur. The Borivli national park is expecting to bring tiger Sultan by mid-December for the breeding programme, which is aimed at increasing the population of wild cats for its famous safari.

"All required permissions are in place, and as per the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) norms, the cage to bring the tiger is also ready. By mid-December, we are hopeful to bring Sultan to SGNP," said an official from the SGNP.

The tiger will be brought from Nagpur-based Gorewada Zoo, which is run by Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra. Two-year-old Sultan, whose official name is C1, is the cub of Tigress T1. He was captured on July 12, 2018, from the Sindevahi range by the Brahmapuri Forest Division, a month after he claimed to have killed two humans.

It will take at least four days to bring Sultan to SGNP as the 800-km-long road journey is a challenging one, said the official.

The SGNP, one of the most visited national parks in the country, holds tiger and lion safari that is famous among the visitors. At present, SGNP has five captive Royal Bengal tigers, including Basanti aged 18 years, Bijlee and Mastani aged 8 years, Laxmi aged 9 years and 10-year-old Anand.

A previous attempt at conservation breeding was made in 2017 when Yash was released for mating Bijlee, but the tigress did not conceive. Yash died of cancer in May this year.

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