Tigress N-1 that evaded capture to be caught again near Nagzira

Vijay Pinjarkar | TNN | May 1, 2020, 04:39 IST

THE HUNTER REFUSES TO BE HUNTED

Nagpur: The problem tigress N-1 from North Bramhapuri range, which has entered Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) buffer zone after travelling over 100km, will be captured.
Three-four teams are already at work since Wednesday after chief wildlife warden Nitin H Kakodkar issued the capture orders. The tigress has been blamed for killing five persons — three in Bramhapuri division and two in NNTR buffer.
As reported by TOI earlier, N-1 had killed three persons on November 14 and December 24, 2019, and one more on January 26 in Bramhapuri division. The first order to capture the problem tigress was issued on January 10, 2020, but the teams failed to capture her. Now the tigress is in NNTR buffer.
The tigress has recently killed two people in an interval of 20 days. The first victim was Arun Bhalavi, a resident of Dhanutola, who was mauled on March 29 morning, when he had ventured into the forest to collect leaves to feed goats.
On April 18, Anita Tumsare (32), a resident of Mangezari on the outskirts of Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, was killed by the same tigress when she had gone to collect mahua flowers.
The distance between the two human kills is around 10-15km. However, official sources said the problem big cat is being captured for two reasons — one is N1 has past history of killing three people, and now the two recent deaths.
“Apart from the tigress being problematic, there is also political pressure to capture N-1 to avoid more human kills. During the first kill near NNTR, the local MLA had warned he would take the matter to the top if the tigress is not captured,” said forest officials.
Gondia deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) S Yuvraj said, “As per NTCA protocol a committee was set up and after looking into the record of the tigress it recommended capturing the animal. We have sent alert in all the villages around Nagzira about the operation.”