Of the several messages that were sent to actor Salman Khan on his 50th birthday on Sunday, one was from the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh inviting the actor to visit the sanctuary and help save endangered animals including black bucks.
The tiger reserve on Sunday tweeted,
Happy b'day @BeingSalmanKhan We invite u to come to Pilibhit sanctuary where we have Black Bucks & many endangered Species. Its time to >>
— Pilibhit Sanctuary (@TigerReservePBT) December 27, 2015 @BeingSalmanKhan Prove u actually care. Ur single visit or retweet will help to save hundreds of wildlife creatures in @TigerReservePBT >>>
— Pilibhit Sanctuary (@TigerReservePBT) December 27, 2015Divisional forest officer Kailash Prakash told The Times of India, "We want Salman Khan to set up an example by helping us preserve the beautiful creatures here. Salman's move to show his love and affection for these animals will undoubtedly double the respect his fans have for him."
Another wildlife activist told the newspaper that it is the "lack of branding" that was hurting the tiger reserve, and this is the reason Khan had been invited. He said, "PTR is not known to people in the state, let alone country."
Khan has been accused of poaching three chinkaras and a black buck in Rajasthan in 1998 while he was shooting for "Hum Saath Saath Hain".
Though the actor was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for poaching the black buck, the Rajasthan high court had stayed his conviction in 2007. However, earlier this year, the Supreme Court set aside the HC order.