Leopard Safari to Begin at Sanjay Gandhi National Park – Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar ‘Bharat, Bharti’ Adopted by Guardian Minister

Mumbai : Leopard safari is set to begin at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, as announced today by Minister of Information Technology and Cultural Affairs, and Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburbs, Adv. Ashish Shelar. Additionally, he has adopted two lions at the park for one year.

Guardian Minister Adv. Shelar today conducted a tour of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali. The tour was attended by Mumbai Suburban District Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar, Chief Conservator of Forests Shreeji Mallikarjun, Deputy Director Revati Kulkarni, Assistant Forest Guard Sudhir Sonawane, Chief Security Officer Yogesh Mahajan, and other officials.

Currently, there are two safari zones for tigers and lions at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Leopard cubs found in various parts of Maharashtra have been sheltered and are being raised in this park. However, no safari is available for tourists to view them. For this, approximately 30 hectares of space is required, and such land is available in this area. The cost for setting up the safari project is expected to be around 5 crore rupees, as informed by the officials. The park receives around 20 lakh visitors annually. If the leopard safari is introduced, the number of visitors is expected to rise, leading to an increase in the park’s revenue, as explained in a presentation by Chief Conservator of Forests Shreeji Mallikarjun to Minister Adv. Shelar.

After reviewing the matter, Minister Ashish Shelar directed the establishment of the new leopard safari and assured that the necessary funding would be provided from the Forest Department and District Planning Committee. He also instructed the district officials to submit the proposal urgently.

‘Bharat, Bharti’ Adopted by Guardian Minister!

Two three-year-old lions, ‘Bharat’ and ‘Bharti,’ were recently brought from Gujarat on January 26. These lions have been adopted by Minister Adv. Shelar for one year, and he will personally bear the cost of their maintenance.

411 Workers to Be Provided with Security Coverage

There are 400 forest laborers at Sanjay Gandhi National Park who work tirelessly in all weather conditions, risking their lives in areas inhabited by wild animals. Many of these workers are from tribal communities.

Additionally, there is a team of 11 people who go into human settlements to capture wild animals that stray in. These individuals are in direct contact with the animals. Minister Adv. Shelar noted that these workers do not have insurance coverage. He immediately instructed the concerned officials to secure insurance for all these workers and assured that the necessary funding would be provided for it.