Why in the News
On the morning of 2 November 2026, tourists on a jungle safari in the Radhanagari-Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district sighted a male Bengal tiger - STR-T10 "Ranoji". According to the Forest Department, this is the first official tiger sighting in the sanctuary recorded on camera by tourists; verified by both photographs and video. The new tourism season's safaris had resumed only a day earlier - on 1 November (Times of India, 2 November 2026).
Details of the Incident
Safari vehicle driver Prasad Korgaonkar was in the core zone with three tourists from Rukadi when "Ranoji" was seen resting in the shade of trees. Officials described it as a result of declining human interference in the sanctuary and of conservation measures. The incident is news in itself, but for the exam its real value lies in its ecological dimensions.
Radhanagari-Dajipur Sanctuary - Basic Facts
- Location: In Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, at the southern end of the Sahyadri ranges of the Western Ghats.
- Declaration: An area of 351.16 sq km declared a sanctuary under a Maharashtra Government notification (16 September 1985) (MoEFCC Gazette, S.O. 3630(E), 15 October 2020). According to the Maharashtra Tourism Department, established in 1958 it is the state's first declared wildlife sanctuary; the names "Dajipur" and "Bison Sanctuary" are also in use.
- Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ): By the final notification of 15 October 2020, an ESZ of 250.66 sq km around the sanctuary (minimum extent 200 metres).
- Biodiversity (as recorded in the Gazette): About 264 bird, 47 mammal, 59 reptile, 20 amphibian and 66 butterfly species; major wildlife including tiger, leopard, gaur, elephant, dhole (wild dog) and the Indian giant squirrel.
- Flagship species: The Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) - the sanctuary is known for it.
- Rivers: Tributaries of the Krishna - Bhogavati, Dudhganga, Tulshi, Kallamma, Dirba; the Radhanagari Dam on the Bhogavati.
The Significance of the Habitat Link
According to the Maharashtra Tourism Department, the presence of tigers has been confirmed by camera traps earlier too. So this is not the first presence of a tiger, but a report of the first official sighting recorded on camera by tourists. Links of protected habitats aid the movement of large wildlife; a single sighting does not establish genetic contact or a functioning corridor.
Significance for the Exam
Facts for Prelims: the 1985 notification, 351.16 sq km, ESZ 2020 (250.66 sq km), gaur, rivers. Note: Radhanagari is a "wildlife sanctuary", not a "national park" or a "tiger reserve" - questions are designed to create precisely this confusion.
Prelims: Practice Questions
Question 1. Consider the following statements about the Radhanagari-Dajipur Wildlife Sanctuary:
Statement 1: Its notified area is 351.16 square kilometres.
Statement 2: Its flagship species is the Indian gaur.
Statement 3: It is itself a national park and distinct from a tiger reserve.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) Statements 1 and 2 only
(b) Statements 2 and 3 only
(c) Statements 1 and 3 only
(d) Statements 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Answer: (a) The MoEFCC Gazette (S.O. 3630(E), 15 October 2020) mentions 351.16 sq km under the state notification of 16 September 1985; the flagship species is the gaur (hence the "Bison Sanctuary"). It is a wildlife sanctuary, not a national park - Statement 3 is wrong.
Question 2. What is the significance of the sighting of tiger STR-T10 "Ranoji" at Radhanagari-Dajipur on 2 November 2026?
(a) The first census of tigers in the sanctuary
(b) The first official tiger sighting recorded on camera by tourists
(c) The sanctuary's conversion into a tiger reserve
(d) Definite proof of a functioning corridor
Answer and explanation
Answer: (b) According to the Forest Department, this is the first time tourists have officially recorded a tiger with photographs and video. A single sighting is not definite proof of corridor functionality, but a possible indication - so (d) is also wrong.
Sources
- Times of India, 2 November 2026: the tourists' camera sighting
- MoEFCC Gazette, 15 October 2020: area and ESZ
- Maharashtra Tourism Department: Radhanagari Sanctuary
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PCSMANTRA Editorial Team
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