'No sign of Jai yet, but there are plenty of other tigers'

While the Forest Department still hasn't found Jai - one of the biggest and most beloved tigers of central India who was announced missing last week - some wildlife conservationists say the big cat's disappearance is not necessarily a wildlife tragedy but a sign that tiger conservation is now a roaring success. According to them, Jai may have moved out of the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary (UKWS) because there are now several male tigers fighting for limited territory there. But Jai is not just any big cat, he is one of the biggest, argue other experts, who stated that Jai is unlikely to have given up on his territory, since he was the dominant male tiger there.

Read Story: Search begins for tiger missing from Nagpur sanctuary

Jai had travelled more than 100 km to get to the sanctuary, where he went on to sire more than 20 cubs. Pic/Amit Panariya

‘Not to worry'
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife, Shree Bhagwan also made the same argument: "It would have been a cause for concern if Jai had gone missing when there were no male tigers in UKWS. At present, there are seven male tigers there, and people should understand that Jai might have moved out in search of new territory, which is a common thing with tigers. Our focus should be on the conservation of the entire species, rather than one individual tiger."

Dr Bilal Habib from the Wildlife Institute of India told mid-day, "From the point of conservation, we should be happy that there are seven male tigers in UKWS and there are chances that Jai might have moved to another territory."

But a section of wildlife lovers and experts are not ready to buy this theory. They also heaped criticism upon the Forest Department for failing to locate Jai, even though he had been fitted with a radio collar. Jai's radio collar seems to be out of function and officials from the sanctuary told this paper that it had developed a snag when the big cat was passing through an area with high-tension lines.

"I know that there are a section of people who are saying that we are focusing on just one tiger, but this is about a male tiger who was dominant in the entire area and who sired more than 20 cubs and was also radio-collared. We are questioning the working of WII and FD, because if they cannot properly track and protect one radio-collared animal, how will they protect the other tigers?" said honorary wildlife warden Roheet Karoo. Animal lovers also questioned why the authorities waited until last week to report Jai missing even though he had disappeared as long ago as April 18.

Forest minister says
Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "We are searching for Jai and hope for a positive outcome. The team from the Wildlife Institute of India that radio-collared the tiger did their work properly. It will not be right to question the good work that the team has done and is currently doing."

Reward proves costly
The forest department joined hands with wildlife lovers and more than 10 NGOs to launch a massive search operation for Jai, the star attraction of the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary. But the search party has been overwhelmed with work ever since a group of wildlife photographers announced a reward of R50,000 for information on Jai's whereabouts. Officials have been receiving more than 25 calls every day, many of them reporting false information. "It's really difficult to go and verify each and every sighting due to staff shortage. Close to half of the FD staff are busy searching one tiger, and this can pose a threat to the safety of other tigers, since poachers can use this opportunity to strike," said a senior official from the Maharashtra Forest Department.