T-24 tiger more commonly addressed as Ustad ruled the Ranthambhore National park for almost 9 years. Ustad was born in 2005 to T-20 Jhumroo and T-22 Gayatri. Because of its free spirit, it was names as Ustad by the locals. Different from other tigers in the reserve, it used to drag its prey to the highway and relish it in public view.

Ustad grabbed most attention and came into news when it killed a veteran forest guard in May 2015. It is said that a number of treatments and injections for an injured paw and the tranquilizers changed its natural behaviour. Also since the other tigers of the reserve were shifted elsewhere,      T-24 felt isolated without his ‘family’. Because of the developing man-eating attitude of Ustad, it was decided to shift it to the Sajjangarh Biological park in May 2015. Here Ustad was confined to a natural enclosure.

Sajjangarh biological park was inaugurated in April 2015 and Ustad came here in May 2015. Ustad’s entry in the biological park came as a boon and the Sajjangarh biological became famous world over. Though Ustad is not on the display, tourists still enquire about its dwelling area.

When Ustad was being shifted to Udaipur, there was lot of protest from fans and when the name of Sajjangarh biological park came in to light, it gained popularity and the graph of tourists increased in no time. The golf cart drivers of the park have said that tourists simply wish to take a look at where has been kept even though they know that the tiger is not in display. (What a yearning for the magnificent animal!!)

Bio-park has completed two years on 12^th April 2017.  A big project of 24 crores for the park is already in the pipeline. The work will start as soon as the Central government approves of the project.

Right above the bio-park is the Sajjangarh sanctuary and a little ahead is the Sajjangarh fort , all of these generate an annual revenue of almost 1.5 crores with the arrival of tourists. Students visit the bio-park in great numbers every year.

According to DFO T.Mohanraj, an approval has been given to bring Himalayan Black bear pair from Mizoram and Tiger and Lion from Pilikula zoo which will be done within two months.

Tourist data of the park

April’15 to March’16       Indian tourists     foreign tourist      students

                                                260942               567                      21664

Total revenue generated   8549480/-

April’16 to March’17       Indian tourists   foreign tourist      students

                                                293803            794                      38851

Total revenue generated   9726095/-

(source rajasthanpatrika)