23 September,2021 01:01 PM IST | Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) | ANI
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A joint team of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) and Rapid Rescue Team (RRT) launched a search operation for a tiger that has so far killed 15 people in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli. The Forest Department has intensified the searches and nearly 150 cameras have been installed in the forest and around villages. Out of the team of 27 members, one of them told ANI, "We walk around 40-km daily on foot in search of the tiger but have yet to identify it."
Dilip Kaushik, a member of the Special Tiger Protection Force in Gadchiroli informed that the forest has many tigers, which makes it difficult to identify the man-eater.
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"The continuous rainfall has made our job difficult. Since there are many tigers in the area, it is quite challenging to identify the individual tiger. Around 150 camera traps have been set up in the area where pugmarks have been found," he said. During the monsoon season, the grasses have also grown significantly which gives the tiger an upper hand to hide, making the task of the team more challenging.
"There are a lot of people here in surrounding areas and people from the village take their cattle for grazing. It disrupts the operation and inflicts more risk," said Kaushik. He further informed that the team has weapons to tranquillize however, "it will only be useful when we identify that tiger and locate him." The Forest Department had passed the order to catch the tiger in September this year.
Since then, the teams have been on high alert. In November last year, a person identified as Govinda Gavture died due to a tiger's attack, while he was working in his field. In the past 22 months, 15 people have lost their lives.
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