“The overgrown jungle in the unoccupied portions of Sahara city and the presence of half built houses has made the City an ideal home for wild life. We have definitely seen evidence like pug marks. The size indicates it could be a small tiger or a leopard. Villagers living around Sahara have sighted what they claim is a tiger. Our cameras will confirm which animal it is in 2 days.”
A team of foresters including RMO Change, Kundan Hatey beside Swapnil Jadhav have installed CCTV cameras today morning within Sahara.
” We will study images captured after 2 days to ascertain what animal it is.”
Leopard could spell more danger for Sahara residents:
As wild life experts will vouch the smaller leopard poses more of a threat to human habitats than a tiger.
” Bengal tiger is the biggest living cat; far bigger than a leopard. It therefore naturally hunts bigger prey like a Bison or a Sambar. Humans generally are not in its ‘menu’. Children, who weigh even less than adults, not at all. But a leopard will hunt a dog or human children. It is therefore much more dangerous!”
Till it is confirmed which animal they are looking for, forest department people are following measures like bursting fire crackers at night to scare away the predators. They are also patrolling the area.
But one really feels bad for those hundreds of Nagpurians who bought into the Sahara dream once, long ago. And why not? You had multiple stars like the entire Bachan family including Aishwarya and top cricketers of the country acting as Sahara Brand Ambassadors!
They had hoped to live in a modern, well appointed, pleasing Township with all amenities. Instead, the few families who were lucky – or unlucky?!- to get possession of their flats are now living in fear of their lives in an ‘urban ‘jungle’ where half built homes have tigers/ leopards moving in as free loaders and becoming Sahara netizens too!
Sunita Mudaliar
Executive Editor
