The Maharashtra forest department has decided to transfer 15 tigers (six males and nine females) from the Gorewada Rescue Centre to the Reliance-managed Greens Zoological, Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre in Jamnagar. This proposal was initiated two weeks ago by PCCF (wildlife) Maheep Gupta, ahead of his retirement on August 31. Earlier, on January 13, 2023, Gupta also approved the transfer of four tigers and four leopards to the zoo without receiving any animals in return.
In 2022, the state forest department had already transferred nine elephants—six from Tadoba and three from Patanil in Allapalli—to Jamnagar. The current Jamnagar transfer proposal is part of a larger exchange plan involving zoos in Surat, Ahmedabad, and Himachal Pradesh. In total, 21 tigers and 10 leopards will be relocated to different zoos. Out of these, 15 tigers will go to Jamnagar, four tigers and four leopards to Surat, two tigers and six leopards to Ahmedabad, and two tigers to Himachal Pradesh.
Gorewada Rescue Centre currently houses 29 tigers and 30 leopards. As part of the exchange, the Surat zoo will provide 3 soft-coated otters, 2 white peafowls, 2 silver pheasants, 10 Alexandrine parakeets, 4 blackbucks, and 1 palm civet in return for 2 tigers and 6 leopards. However, the zoos in Jamnagar and Himachal Pradesh will not be exchanging any animals for the 15 tigers they will receive from Gorewada.
PCCF (wildlife) Maheep Gupta wrote to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) on August 14, requesting the expedited transfer of tigers to the Jamnagar zoo. “It’s necessary to shift animals from Gorewada in view to create space in the rescue centre and support ex-situ wildlife conservation. We have no objection to proposals,” Gupta wrote to CZA.
CZA member-secretary Sanjay Kumar Shukla confirmed that the proposal to transfer 15 tigers has been approved. “The turn of events also indicates how fast files move when tigers and leopards are to be shifted to Jamnagar. The proposal was mooted by Gupta on August 14. On August 18, Reliance zoo sought CZA clearance, which was granted in three to four days,” said senior forest officials.
Balasaheb Thackeray Gorewada Zoological Park director Shatanik Bhagwat said, “As the Jamnagar zoo has advanced facilities and experts to treat wild animals, there is a plan to shift tigers, particularly ones that need long-term treatment.”