Tiger 'Ranoji' (STR-10) sighted by tourists on safari in Radhanagari Sanctuary, Kolhapur

5 November 2026 · English Environment & Ecology

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Topics: Environment · 5 November 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

In Radhanagari (Dajipur) Wildlife Sanctuary, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, tourists from Panvel and Kolhapur on an early-morning safari on Monday, 2 Nov 2026, saw and photographed the tiger 'Ranoji' (STR-10) in the 'Holicha Sada' area – a day after the sanctuary reopened on 1 Nov after the monsoon closure. It is seen as a result of the wildlife department's measures – a cap on vehicles, fixed slots (6 a.m. and 2 p.m.), a guide in every vehicle and about 20 waterholes filled by solar-powered pumps. Ranoji was recorded on camera traps in April 2026, becoming the 10th tiger of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve landscape.

Key facts

Sanctuary	Radhanagari (Dajipur) – Kolhapur district, Maharashtra; about 351 sq km
Tiger	'Ranoji' (STR-10), male; camera-trapped in April 2026
Sighting	Early morning, 2 Nov 2026 – 'Holicha Sada' area; reopened 1 Nov
History	1958 – Maharashtra's first sanctuary as 'Dajipur'; renamed Radhanagari in 1985
Flagship	Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) – the 'Bison Sanctuary'
Rivers	Bhogavati, Dudhganga, Tulshi – tributaries of the Krishna
Status	Western Ghats UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012) – Sahyadri sub-cluster; Eco-Sensitive Zone (2020)

Background

• Geography: Radhanagari lies in the southern Sahyadri (Western Ghats). It is a key link in the 'Sahyadri–Konkan' tiger corridor – Chandoli National Park and Koyna Sanctuary (Sahyadri Tiger Reserve) to the north and, through Sawantwadi–Dodamarg (Konkan), Goa and Karnataka to the south. Natural tiger movement along the Sawantwadi–Dodamarg corridor helps genetic diversity.
• Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR): Chandoli National Park + Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary, notified in 2010. As males outnumber females, female tigers are being moved in phases from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench with central approval; 10 tigers (7 males, 3 females) have been identified in the landscape.
• Law: Project Tiger began on 1 April 1973. The 2006 amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, made the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) a statutory body, chaired by the Union Environment Minister. The tiger is India's national animal (1973); IUCN status Endangered; Schedule I of the Wildlife Act.
• Biology: the Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) is the world's largest wild bovine; IUCN Vulnerable. It is a major prey of the tiger.

Tamil Nadu link: Tamil Nadu has 5 tiger reserves – Kalakad–Mundanthurai, Anamalai, Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam (2013) and Srivilliputhur–Megamalai (2021). Mudumalai (Nilgiris) has the well-known Theppakadu Elephant Camp; Anamalai has the Kozhikamuthi Elephant Camp. Gaur are plentiful in the Nilgiris, Anamalai and Sathyamangalam.

Source: Tarun Bharat, Pudhari (Marathi, 3 Nov 2026); eSakal (2 Nov 2026); Pune Pulse (sanctuary reopening, Nov 2026); WII (Sahyadri TR); Free Press Journal (13 Apr 2026 – Ranoji); Incredible India; NTCA

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