BHUBANESWAR: With the Supreme Court (SC) recently ruling that tiger safaris will be allowed on non-forest or degraded forest land in buffer areas, the state government has decided to reapproach the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) seeking approval of its master plan for establishment of world’s first melanistic tiger safari project at Manchabandha reserve forest near Baripada.
A senior wildlife official told TNIE that the detailed project report (DPR) and master plan for the project is pending with the expert group on zoo design at CZA. “However, after the apex court verdict, we will now approach the committee of the CZA to consider the master plan submitted for establishment of the proposed melanistic tiger safari,” he said.
He said considering the ruling of the SC, if any changes are suggested by the committee in the master plan, the same will be complied with.
The Supreme Court in its verdict last month had emphasised that tiger safari has to be in consonance with the 2019 rules of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and ruled that the same shall be established on ‘non-forest land’ or ‘degraded forest land’ in buffer areas provided that is not part of a tiger corridor.
Besides, the apex court has also clarified that tiger safari shall be allowed only in association with a full-fledged rescue and rehabilitation centre for tigers where conflict animals, injured animals or abandoned animals are housed.
The proposal of the melanistic tiger safari in Baripada was placed before 110th meeting of expert group of zoo design of CZA in March 2024 which recommended it to the technical committee of CZA. The committee gave recommendation on several shortcomings, following which a three-member NTCA team visited the Manchabandha site and analysed the feasabliity and location with respect to the existing rules and regulations. In July 2024, the proposal was recommended by NTCA to CZA, after which the melanistic tiger safari DPR along with a master plan was submitted in August 2024, sources said.
The melanistic tiger safari has been planned to be established in the Manchabandha reserve forest area adjoining NH-18 of Baripada town in Mayurbhanj district for which the Forest department has earmarked a 150 hectare patch of land. Around 40 to 50 hectare will be reserved as display area, while the remaining land has been proposed to be utilised for creation of veterinary care facilities including a rescue centre, staff infrastructure and visitors’ amenities among others.
The state government had initially planned to release six tigers, four melanistic and two white tigers in the safari of which, three melanistic tigers along with two white tigers of the same lineage have been planned to be brought from Nandankanan Zoo. Another melanistic tiger, unfit for rewilding had been proposed to be brought from Ranchi as part of an agreement between the Odisha and Jharkhand governments.