In a significant operation, the Forest Department in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur seized 19 SUVs involved in the illegal entry into Ranthambore National Park‘s tiger reserve. Among the seized vehicles, 14 were found in Zone 8 of the park, while five were recovered from nearby hotels. The vehicles had registration plates from Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The incident occurred on the evening of August 15, when more than a dozen luxury vehicles, including Mahindra Scorpio, Thar, and XUV500 variants, entered the park despite it being closed for jungle safaris during the monsoon season. Ranthambore National Park typically restricts entry to authorised vehicles like gypsies and canters, but the seized vehicles managed to infiltrate the prohibited area, sparking outrage when a viral video showed people walking inside the tiger reserve, a zone where tiger movement is common.
Divisional Forest Officer Ramanand Bhakar confirmed that between 12 to 15 vehicles entered the park that evening, and an investigation is underway to determine how the tourists bypassed the park’s tight surveillance and anti-poaching systems. The illegal entry is particularly concerning given the park’s extensive surveillance measures, and the investigation aims to uncover the breach in security that allowed this to happen.
This crackdown highlights the ongoing challenges in protecting wildlife and enforcing regulations in one of India’s most famous tiger reserves.
Mahindra Statement: “We understand that in connection with an adventure event there was an incident of some vehicles entering Tiger Zone B of Ranthambore. We would like to clarify that the said event was organised by a third party who uses Mahindra vehicles for the activity. As a responsible OEM, we will investigate the matter to find out any violation on the part of the organisers of the event. We strongly condemn any act of violation and will fully support the administration who is investigating this incident.”
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