Maharashtra: ‘Daredevil’ bikers film Tadoba tigers, experts fume

Screenshots from the widely shared video show a potential man-animal conflict at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve near Nagpur

Two majestic tigers sauntering on a road inside a protected forest. On the face of it, the sight appears surreal. But it can look ugly if the big cats are surrounded by a pack of irresponsible humans. A sanctuary in Maharashtra recently saw a similar show of stupidity, raising the hackles of wildlife conservationists and animal lovers.

In a widely shared video, two big cats can be seen walking on the Padmapur-Moharli road, abutting the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Despite the wild animals being in the vicinity, several bikers take their pictures, with horns blaring in the background.

In an act of ‘daredevilry', a few of the men move closer for a better shot, only to hastily beat a retreat as the tigers move in their direction.

Conservation photographer Sarosh Lodhi, also a member of CLaW, an independent forum of wildlife enthusiasts from Maharashtra, was aghast. "Movement of wild animals is a common sight around villages near parks. Tigers have been spotted many times on the said road. The issue is the crowd and the proximity at which they are making videos. There cannot be an alternative to strict monitoring of this patch to avoid any untoward incident."

Also Read: Maharashtra: Man killed in tiger attack in Chandrapur

Experts also feel that this stretch of the road in Tadoba is frequented by tigers and authorities must take steps to prevent such situations.

Wildlife conservationist and director of The Corbett Foundation Kedar Gore said, "This is a potentially dangerous situation. Such crowding of people around tigers needs to be controlled by the forest department to prevent human-tiger conflict. Even people, whether locals or tourists, must respect the tigers' presence and keep a safe distance."

Gore added, "The obsession for taking videos and selfies for social media may prove to be dangerous in such cases. A regulation in vehicle movements and some physical mitigation measures on the road stretch has become necessary for the safety of people and tigers."

Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre took to Twitter to express his exasperation. He tweeted, "Such incidents cannot be taken lightly, a big accident can happen anytime, even when there is a lockdown, where and why are so many urban bikers going to Chandrapur: This viral video of Padmapur-Moharli road."

Forest dept sends notice to video shooter

Taking a serious note of the viral video, the forest department has sent a notice to one Sahil Baig, a resident of Moharli village in Chandrapur district. It was Baig who recorded the video of the tigers, it has been said. The notice says Baig obstructed the movement of the tigers. He has been asked to report to the department within 48 hours failing which will face action as per Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.