AHMEDABAD: After 33 years, Gujarat has officially reclaimed its ‘Tiger State’ identity as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) confirmed the permanent presence of a tiger in Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary in Dahod district.Gujarat has quietly but decisively scripted a historic turnaround in India’s wildlife and political narrative, with the NTCA confirming the permanent presence of a tiger and restoring the state’s long-lost Tiger State status after more than three decades.The confirmation has transformed Gujarat’s identity overnight from being known solely as the land of the Asiatic lion to becoming India’s only state where lions, leopards and tigers coexist in the wild, a rare ecological convergence with both conservation significance and political symbolism.The breakthrough came from Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary, where a male tiger has not merely passed through but settled.Forest officials said the story began quietly in February, when the young tiger crossed into Gujarat from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Instead of retreating, the animal stayed. After nearly ten months of continuous presence, backed by camera traps, repeated sightings and consistent movement patterns, the NTCA concluded that the tiger was not a transient visitor but a resident.Reacting to the development, Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjunbhai Modhwadia struck a note of measured confidence. “We have not yet received a formal letter from the NTCA, but the preliminary report prepared after a detailed study has confirmed the presence of a tiger in Ratanmahal and included Gujarat in the national tiger census. This is a matter of pride for every Gujarati,” he said.
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