In a boost for wildlife enthusiasts and tourists, a new tiger has been spotted in the renowned Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, with the reserve staff successfully capturing an image of the male tiger in the national park.
Since 2018, no tiger had been recorded in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve until December 17, 2023, when a tiger was first spotted. As it was unidentifiable, it was given the name ‘STR-1’. Even during the heavy rains last year, the reserve staff continued to monitor the movements of ‘STR-1’. A year later, it has been confirmed that this tiger is still residing in the reserve.
Additionally, on October 24, 2024, a camera trap set up in Chandoli National Park captured an image of another male tiger at 11:46pm. Upon review by the Tiger Cell research team, it was determined that this new tiger was different from ‘STR-1’. Therefore, it was named ‘STR-2’. Tiger researcher Girish Punjabi confirmed that this tiger had been photographed earlier in 2022 in Radhanagari, which led to the official naming of ‘STR-2’.
The tiger cub ‘STR-1’ was first seen in the Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary of Kolhapur district on April 23, 2022, and had been living there for two years. The last photograph of ‘STR-1’ in Radhanagari was taken on April 13, 2024. While ‘STR-1’ has not been spotted since, the discovery of ‘STR-2’ signals that the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve is thriving, with an increasing number of tigers in the area, as the reserve continues to prosper and grow.