Given the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown, the North Bengal Wild Animal park (Bengal Safari) today marked International Tigers Day with an online quiz competition titled ‘Bengal Safari Tiger Day Quiz,’ which was open for all age groups.
Dharam Deo Rai, the director, Bengal Safari, said, “We celebrate this day every year. During normal times, we invite school students and organise drawing and quiz competitions and other activities at the park, but this time it could not be possible due to the Covid19 crisis.”
As per the set guidelines, the responses on the quiz were to be submitted till 10 pm today.
“The quiz is being conducted online for the first time this year. The results will be out by tomorrow or day after. However, no prizes will be distributed as a lot of time has been allotted and the answers can be easily searched for. So, this is simply an interactive awareness session. The main motive behind this competition is to raise awareness about the ecological importance of tigers in the ecosystem, their protection and conservation,” Mr Rai added.
It may be noted here that there are claims and counter claims about the existence of the big cats in the north Bengal region.
While the National Tiger Conservation Authority published a report of the fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation-2018 last year and said there was no existence of the animal in the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) forest in Alipurduar district in north Bengal, forest officials at the BTR claim that they have proof of the big cat’s existence in the forest there.
The BTR has an old fame of having at least 26 tigers in the seventies.