Sighting surprises city wildlife activists, who say that full-grown Indian bison, also called Gaur, are usually spotted near Mahabaleshwar and aren't common here
The full-grown Indian bison (Gaur) that two wildlife activists spotted in a village near Murbad. Pic/Avinash Harad
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A few wildlife activists were in for a surprise treat on Tuesday, when they spotted a full-grown Indian bison, also called Gaur, close to Mumbai, in a village near Murbad.
A chance meeting
Wildlife activist Avinash Harad and a friend saw the animal briefly in a forested patch, before it ran away into the bushes after sensing the duo's presence.
"Gaur are common around Mahabaleshwar. We think that the one we spotted might have come via the Mahabaleshwar-Poladpur-Raigad-Pali route, as it is one of the shortest. A few years back, I had seen one near Mahuli Fort; then, I had clicked its pictures and passed on the information to forest department officials at the Tansa wildlife sanctuary," said Harad.
The sighing has surprised many from the wildlife preservation community, with experts explaining that bison are social animals and usually roam in groups while grazing; sometimes, the younger ones are pushed out of the group by the dominant male, and this could have happened with the bison that was spotted near Murbad.
'Protect corridors'
"The need of the hour is to protect not only the existing forest cover, but also the corridors that connect two forests. The forested patch next to the Murbad village should be declared as a conservation reserve as it connects Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary with Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and acts as an important wildlife corridor for safe passage of animals," said Harad.
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