Yamunanagar: After a long gap of at least 110 years, a Bengal tiger was spotted at Yamunanagar Kalesar National Park, situated at the northern end of Haryana. Earlier in 1913, the Bengal tiger had been seen roaming in Kalesar Park. On the night of April 18 at around 11.45 pm and on the late night of April 19 at 2.46 am, the image of the tiger was captured on the flash-and-click camera installed in the forest.
After seeing the camera footage of the tiger, the forest guards working there informed the higher officials about the presence of the tiger in the park. Besides the two images of the tiger were also shared on social media. Shrugging off the claims, some people on social media stated it was just a rumour. But, on Thursday evening, Haryana's forest minister Kanwar Pal shared the photos of the Bengal tiger on his social media handle, setting aside all rumour mills.
Expressing happiness over the spotting of the Bengal tiger, Haryana minister Kanwar Pal said, "We feel proud after spotting of Bengal tiger after a long gap. We are trying to develop the Yamunanagar Kalesar National Park as a major tourist destination. We have spent Rs 12 crore so far on developing the park. We hope tourists will start visiting the park soon. The spotting of the Bengal tiger after 110 years gives us the satisfaction that conservation of wildlife has been going on in the right direction."
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A national park is also being developed in the Hathinikund area of the state for the promotion of tourism in the region in a big way. Yamunanagar Kalesar National Park spreads up to Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, while one of the outer fringes of the park touches the dense forest in Himachal Pradesh.
