Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has formally approached the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) seeking permission to bring a female tiger to the state, the Forest and Environment Minister informed the Assembly.

This comes after the state regained its status as a tiger state after three decades, following confirmation of the presence of an approximately five-year-old tiger in the Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary in central Gujarat.

Responding to a question during the ongoing Budget session, the Minister stated that the state government made a representation to the National Tiger Conservation Authority on November 24, 2025, and the matter is currently under consideration.

No further details regarding timelines or approvals were provided in the response. Notably, the tiger has been living in the wildlife sanctuary in Panchmahal district for nearly a year. The big cat has been frequenting the Ratanmahal and adjoining Madhya Pradesh landscape since mid-February 2025 and has remained in the area, prompting continuous monitoring by state forest authorities. DeshGujarat