Beautiful Rajaji National Park would have been proud with a robust population of 38 tigers. That’s why it was rechristened Rajaji Tiger Reserve sometime ago. Its bane however was a crowded National Highway connecting Dehradun with Haridwar that bisected the park into two zones. The highway resulted in crowding of tigers in the Eastern Zone of the Park while the Western zone remained devoid of the stripped cats.
The scenario had changed recently. Construction of three elevated corridors by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have created underpasses for the wild animals like Leopards, elephants and tigers to cross from Eastern Zone to Western Zone.
Field Director of Rajaji National Park Dr Saket Badola in a video interview told Indian Masterminds that camera traps have confirmed that a tiger has recently crossed over to the Western Zone. Asked whether it has returned to Eastern Zone, he said, “Not yet. But, we won’t mind if it does return because that would signify two-way movement of animals between two zones”.
The Western Zone has a capacity of 80 tigers but only three tigers had been sighted here, that too long ago. Now, construction of flyovers – some up to 700-800 metres long, has allowed free movements of herbivores and carnivores alike. “It is a major milestone achieved in wildlife conservation”, said Dr Badola.
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