Tigress Avni (T1)'s cub spotted in camera traps

The male cub had jumped over the enclosure put up to rescue it. File pic

The cub of tigress T1 or Avni, that had jumped over the 12-feet high fence of the enclosure installed to rescue it, has been spotted in the camera traps at Pandharkawda, Yavatmal. Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (APCCF) Sunil Limaye said, "The positive development is that the male cub of T1 has been spotted in our camera traps two times in the past three-four days and it appears healthy. It also has killed a buffalo near the area and was eating it."

On Thursday the male cub had killed a goat in compartment number 653 of the forest. Prior to this, an image of the cub was spotted in the camera trap on Wednesday near the enclosure. The forest department (FD) team had also discovered a partly eaten bovine kill around 400 metres away, after which the search for the cub was intensified.

Patrolling teams and forest staff are regularly monitoring the camera traps and checking direct and indirect evidence, based on which the further strategy can be decided. Local villagers staying in the area have been asked to take precautions and those who are venturing into forest area to graze their cattle, have been told to report any sightings or cattle kill to the FD staff, so that they can get the latest update of the male cub's activity.

On January 4, mid-day had done a story (T1's cub jumps over tilted fence to escape in the wild) in which it was stated how the forest department has yet another challenge to face, with the male cub preparing to give them a tough time. Officials had suspected that the cub had jumped over the 12-feet fence of the enclosure, after they found it was tilted on one side.

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