Tadoba tigress and cub all set to ride Nagpur metro

You could soon be riding on a train with the world famous tigress, Maya, a resident of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. The iconic image of the tigress with her cub, shot by wildlife photographer Amol Bais, will soon grace the coaches of the Nagpur metro, to help with tiger conservation efforts. In 2016, a postal stamp with the famous image was released.

The heartwarming picture of Maya with her cub shot at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Pic /Amol Bais

Bais, an honorary wildlife warden at Chandrapur, said, "An official from Nagpur Metro's rolling stock department approached me a few months ago and said they wanted to use my picture of Maya and her cub on the coaches of the Nagpur metro. As Nagpur is the tiger capital of Maharashtra, I am very happy that they will be using the picture, which will remind the people about the importance of tiger conservation."

On January 1, 2016, Bais was in Tadoba on a safari, during which he captured the beautiful picture of Maya's cub hugging her. The picture went viral on social networking sites after Bais uploaded it and within a few days it had crossed 2.5 lakh likes on facebook. The picture also received a lot of good reviews from the international media, with the picture being widely published abroad.

Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was so impressed by the beautiful click that in 2016, on World Tiger Day, a postal stamp of the picture was officially released by the postal department. Maya is one of the most photographed tigresses in the country. She is the reason why wildlife photographers and enthusiasts visit Tadoba.