Maharashtra: Gaur sighted in Bor Tiger Reserve after 8 years

NAGPUR: An adult Indian gaur was sighted in the 138 square kilometre Bor Tiger Reserve (BTR), 60 kilometres from the city in Wardha district, on Wednesday. The big mammal has been spotted in the reserve after eight years.


Pench chief conservator of forests (CCF) and field director Ravikiran Govekar confirmed sighting of the gaur in Bor.

“I suspect the gaur entered the park travelling between Pench-Mansingdeo-Bor corridor, or from Tadoba or Melghat. Due to lockdown for the last two months, traffic on roads was sparse and this may be one of the reasons. We will record it in the new management plan of Bor.”

As reported by TOI earlier, gaur sightings have been rare in Bor — though it has a sizeable population of other herbivores. A pair of bisons was sighted on January 5, 2012 by tourists from Nagpur in Manoli area of the park during safari.

Prior to that, the herbivore was sighted in 2009 by a forest officer in Khorikhapa area of the park. In 2004, a solitary bison was recorded inside the park. A scientific study is needed to ascertain from where the gaurs are coming, said an expert.

Indian gaurs are a common sight in protected areas (PAs) in Maharashtra, barring some exceptions like Tipeshwar and Bor. Last month, a solo gaur was sighted in Pandharkawda (Yavatmal) near Khuni river, 15 kilometres from Tipeshwar. This was the first recorded gaur in Yavatmal.