P.V.Anandpadmanabhan
Mumbai,
Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister and Maharashtra’s IT and Cultural Affairs Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar has announced the launch of a ‘Leopard Safari’ at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali. In a significant conservation gesture, he has also adopted two lions – ‘Bharat and Bharati’ for a year, taking personal responsibility for their upkeep.
During his visit to SGNP on Friday, minister Adv. Shelar inspected the park. Present with him on this occasion were suburban district collector Rajendra Kshirsagar, chief conservator Shriji Mallikarjun, deputy director Revati Kulkarni, assistant forest officer Sudhir Sonawane, chief security officer Yogesh Mahajan and other concerned officials.
Currently, SGNP hosts tiger and lion safaris. Leopard cubs found in various parts of Maharashtra are brought and reared here. But tourists do not get to see leopards in their natural habitat. Nearly 30 hectares of land would be required for this purpose and it is available. The Leopard Safari can be started to offer visitors a unique wildlife experience while ensuring a safe and enriched environment for the rescued leopards and their cubs that have been rehabilitated in this park. This will not only enhance tourism but will also boost revenue. According to the officials, the cost of the project is estimated at Rs 5 crore. Every year, 20 lakh tourists visit this national park. If Leopard Safari is introduced, the number of tourists will increase thereby boosting revenues of the park, informed chief conservator Shriji Mallikarjun who made a detailed presentation to the minister.
After going through the presentation, minister Ashish Shelar instructed to immediately initiate the process to start Leopard Safari and the funds needed will be jointly sourced from the forest department and the district planning committee. He also instructed the district collector to expedite the proposal to bring the initiative to life at the earliest.
On Republic Day, (January 26, 2025), two three-year-old cubs – ‘Bharat and Bharati’ were brought to SGNP from Gujarat. Minister Ashish Shelar has stepped forward to adopt them for a year, personally covering all the expenses for their care and well-being.
