Guj forest dept to create corridors for tigers, cheetahs and leopards

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat forest department has drawn up ambitious plans to set up distinct corridors for three big cats — tiger, cheetah and leopard. While the tiger and leopard corridor is proposed to be set up from Aravalli in North Gujarat to Dang in South Gujarat, the cheetah corridor will come up at the Banni grassland in Kutch district.With the Asiatic lion having been established firmly in the Gir Sanctuary, addition of the tiger and cheetah will ensure that all the major big cats will be found in Gujarat. The state already has a sizeable population of leopards in the wild. Pravin Mali, minister of state, forest and environment, said, "We have set a vision to develop Gujarat as home to the tiger, cheetah and leopard along with lions. We have identified areas that can be developed as natural habitat to these big cats. The department will develop prey base as well as develop scientific conservation models to project Gujarat as a unique state with the world's four big cats."The forest department's presentation made to the govt said that the tiger and leopard corridor will extend through Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Tapi, Dang and Valsad districts.