Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is set 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 in Mayurbhanj.
The move comes following the Supreme Court’s (SC) recent ruling that tiger safaris can be allowed on non-forest or degraded forest land in buffer areas,
The detailed project report (DPR) and master plan for the proposed project is pending with the expert group on zoo design at CZA. “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,” a senior official was quoted by TNIE as saying.
Considering the ruling of the SC, if any changes are suggested by the committee in the master plan, the same will be complied with, he said.
The Supreme Court in its verdict last month had stressed that tiger safari ha
s 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.
This apart, 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 near 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 feasibility 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 in the Manchabandha reserve forest area adjoining NH-18 of Baripada town for which the Forest department has earmarked a 150-hectare patch of land. The state government had initially planned to release six tigers, four melanistic and two white tigers in the safari.