Four elephants brought in from MP to hunt for tigress T1, her cubs

The four elephants brought in from the Madhya Pradesh forest department for the hunt

The hunt for tigress T1 and her cubs is on in full swing at Pandharkawda. Though there are four elephants and four veterinary teams already on ground, another elephant is being brought in from the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve to help them. A JCB machine has also been brought in to clear the undergrowth in the forest.

On Wednesday, the tracking team got indirect evidence of the tigress' presence by way of pug marks in the forested patch, which also proves that they are on the right track to find her.

Deputy Conservator of Forest K M Abharna (standing), APCCF Sunil Limaye (speaking), to his left CCF, Yavatmal, Pradip Rahurkar and other officials at the base camp

The teams
For the past four days, senior forest department officials, including principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) A K Misra and assistant principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF) (wildlife) Sunil Limaye, have been closely monitoring the operation.

Speaking to mid-day, APCCF Limaye said, "The best possible efforts are being taken to tranquilise and capture tigress T1 and her cubs. Two expert veterinarians from Madhya Pradesh, along with two veterinarians from the Maharashtra Forest Department and their teams are involved in the operation. A total of four elephants are already on ground and one more elephant from Tadoba has been called in for the operation."

On Thursday, the tranquilising teams with elephants searched the forested patch near Sawarkhed village all afternoon, but could not locate the tigress. Three more trackers from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary have also joined the combing operation towards Khairgav and are in the forested patch.

The operation
Chief Conservator of Forest, Yavatmal, Pradip Rahurkar said, "The operation is on, and a base camp for the team and elephants involved in the operation has been set up near Savarkheda and Sarati villages. A total of 75 camera traps have been installed along the forested landscape, and every day, at 7 am, the team involved in camera checking gets back with the data based on which our day is planned."

A total of 50 pressure impression pads (for pug marks) have been made in the forest and the same are being checked every day. As the terrain is difficult and there is a lot of undergrowth, the task has become challenging. The forest watchers are even accompanying herders who take cattle to graze near the villages close to the forest, and they are being told about the presence of tigers and what precautions they should take.

Villagers informed
On a day-to-day basis villagers are also being updated about developments of the operation so that they don't feel as if the forest department is not doing anything. Several teams have also been formed for night patrolling in the surrounding villages and to inform locals to not venture into the forest alone.

A team of 25 members who are attached to the special tiger protection force and were working with Navegav Nagzira Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve Maharashtra are also involved in the operation. Teams from the Wildlife Conservation Trust and Wildlife Trust of India are also assisting the Maharashtra forest department.

Also Read: Sudhir Mungantiwar: Want man-eater tigress removed from killer zone in 3 days

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