World’s 1st ‘White Tiger Safari’ in MP thrown open to public

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday inaugurated the world’s maiden ‘White Tiger Safari’ at Mukundpur in Satna district in the state’s Vindhya region where the feline was first discovered more than 100 years ago. The first of its kind safari has cost Rs 50 crore and is spread over an area of 25 hectares.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, CM Chouhan and MP’s Public Relations and Energy Minister Rajendra Shukla, among others, dedicated it to the public. The CM inaugurated the safari amid cheers from more than one lakh people.

“The sanctioned amount for establishing the safari was Rs 50 crore and so far estimates suggest that the amount has been utilised. It remains to be seen if there is a need to revise the amount in future,” Shukla said.

With its inauguration, the safari, housing three white tigers, including one male named Raghu and two females, Vindhya and Radha, is now officially open for public.

“As of now, there are three white tigers and two Royal Bengal tigers. The safari will house nine white tigers in the coming months for which talks are being held,” Shukla said.

To establish the Safari, one of the white tigers Vindhya and two bears were brought from Bhopal last year to house them at the Mukundpur Zoological Park. Thereafter, two more white tigers, Radha and Raghu, from Maitri Bagh Zoo at Bhilai in Chhattisgarh were brought here, Shukla said.