Problem tiger captured, tigress found dead

Chandrapur: The problem tiger of Tadoba, KT-I, responsible for five human kills was tranquillized and captured on Wednesday evening close to Chaiti talav near Kolara gate on boundary of core and buffer zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
PCCF and field director TATR, NR Pravin told TOI that tiger KT-1 had killed the bait laid near the lake in the morning and gone back into the jungle. “The beast returned in the evening and the team waiting on the machan darted it precisely before capturing it,” he said.
A rouge tiger in buffer zone of the park had killed five people including two women in the last four months. After two of the human kills happened in last three days at Kolara and Bamangaon, an expert technical committee analysed the data and identified KT-I as the problem tiger.
PCCF (wildlife) Nitin Kakodkar issued orders to capture the problem tiger on Tuesday following recommendation from the committee.
A team comprising ACF Mahesh Kore, veterinary wildlife officer Dr Ravikand Khobragade, members of Rapid Response Team of TATR and staffer under the leadership of deputy director, TATR (core) undertook the tracking and search operation in the forest.
They soon determined the area of tiger’s movement and laid bait in its track near the Chaiti talav. Field director Pravin claimed that the captured beast is a healthy adult male. The tiger will be sent to Gorewada rescue centre in Nagpur as it cannot be released back into the wild.
In yet another incident, a full-grown tigress was found dead close to busy Sitarampeth-Kondegaon road in Moharli range of buffer zone under TATR on Wednesday morning.
Livestock development officer PD Kadukar carried out the post mortem on the spot in presence of TATR officials, PCCF and NTCA representatives. Field director Pravin claimed that post mortem findings remained inconclusive as the body was completely petrified and hence cause of death could not be ascertained. He ruled out poaching claiming that all the vital body parts are intact.
Vets have collected the viscera samples for forensic analysis. The incident has put question mark over patrolling and safety of wildlife in highly protected TATR, as carcass lied near the busy Sitarampeth road for 4-5 days undiscovered.
It’s the fifth tiger death in Maharashtra this year. Four of the deaths have occurred in Tadoba landscape.