The proposed tiger rescue centre cum safari park in Corbett tiger reserve has been approved in principle by the Central Zoo Authority. Now the proposal will be considered by the CZA technical committee after which, if approved, the State Forest Department (SFD) will approach the Supreme Court (SC) for permission to develop the tiger rescue centre cum safari park in Corbett.
Talking to The Pioneer, chief wildlife warden Digvijay Singh Khati said that the CZA had approved in principle, the State’s proposal for creating a tiger rescue centre cum safari park in Corbett. The proposal will now be presented in the meeting of the CZA technical committee which is likely to be held either in the last week of September or second week of October. If approved by the technical committee, the State will approach the Supreme Court seeking clearance to execute the proposal, he said. It is pertinent to mention here that the State forest department has proposed setting up a tiger rescue centre cum safari park on about 200 hectare area at Gujjar Sot in the buffer zone of Corbett tiger reserve near Kotdwar in Pauri district. This facility would help in treatment of rescued tigers while also enabling visitors to view big cat. In accordance with law, the department proposes to house rescued tigers unfit to be released back in the wild at this safari park. Injured tigers will be brought to this rescue centre and after recuperation would be released back in the wild if found fit. However, if any big cat is not found to be fit for release back in to the wild, it will be kept at the safari park where paths and special vehicles would enable visitors to view the tigers kept here.