A video of a tigress chasing a tourist vehicle in the buffer zone of a tiger reserve in Maharashtra has gone viral on social media.
The video, shot in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district, has led to concerns among wildlife activists who want directives for tour operators and tourists not to block the national animal’s path.
In the video clip, tourists are seen shocked after noticing the tigress running after their vehicle.
Range Forest Officer Raghvendra Moon said that the incident occurred on Sunday, 11 November. The three-and-a-half year old tigress 'Chhoti Madhu' may have been agitated by the proximity of the visitors' vehicle, he added.
This tigress is known to have charged at a tourist vehicle in the past as well, another official said, adding that after that incident, a meeting of tourist guides and drivers was convened, and a warning was issued to keep a safe distance from the tigers.
Maharashtra has six tiger reserves, which cover an area of around 9,116 sq km. These include Pench, Melghat, Sahyadri and Tadoba-Andhari, which attract wildlife enthusiasts in large numbers.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)