Goa government flip-flops on tigers ahead of Supreme Court decision
Goa's government can't seem to agree on whether tigers actually live in the state.
In a recent Supreme Court submission, they said tigers just pass through and don't stick around—citing a 2018 survey that found three tigers but no sign of cubs or permanent residents.
But in another case, they claimed some forests do have resident tigers.
Why does it matter?
This back-and-forth matters because the Bombay High Court ordered Goa to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve—a move the state is pushing back against.
Making Mhadei a reserve would mean setting aside more land than Goa currently has protected, possibly displacing about 100,000 people.
Conservationists say protecting Mhadei is key for tiger survival and Western Ghats ecosystem health, even though Goa's tiger numbers are consistently low.
The Supreme Court's upcoming verdict could shape both wildlife protection and local communities' futures.