Maharashtra: Female cub of Tigress Avni radio-collared, to be freed from enclosure soon

The three-year-old cub, also known as T1C2, is currently under observation at the enclosure which sprawls over five hectares. (Representational)

The female cub of tigress Avni, which was shot dead in Pandharkawda in the Yavatmal district of Mahasrashtra on November 2, 2018, has been tagged with a radio collar and will be released from her enclosure at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in a day or two.

The three-year-old cub, also known as T1C2, is currently under observation at the enclosure which sprawls over five hectares. She was shifted to the facility after being captured in December 2018, more than a month after her mother was shot dead. For two years since her arrival, the forest department has been carrying out a ‘re-wilding exercise’, which basically involves releasing her natural preys into the enclosure to help the cub gain hunting experience.

On November 27, the technical committee of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) gave the go-ahead to releasing the cub in open forest at PTR.

“A team from Wildlife Institute of India radio-collared T1C2 on Tuesday. We will observe the tigress for a few days to check how she carries the collar. We will then open the enclosure and let her walk her way out of it,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Nitin Kakodkar said.

As reported earlier, the forest department will put another tigress, captured at Pandharkawda forest on September 26, in the enclosure for a similar ‘re-wilding’ exercise. The tigress was captured after it killed two persons while prowling nearby villages for prey.

Kakodkar said, “Once out of the enclosure, we will monitor her movements in the forest. Although she has interacted with tigers, both male and female, outside the enclosure across the fence, it will be an entirely different experience if and when she comes in contact with them in the open forest. So, we will keep track.”

Asked what if she gets into a fight with another big cat, something she has not learnt to negotiate inside the enclosure, Kakodkar said, “There could be a violent clash. But we will let her deal with it in her own way. We might consider stepping in only if she sustains serious injuries.”

On whether it’s possible that she will return to the safe confines of the enclosure in the event of a clash, Kakodkar said, “It’s possible. That, however, won’t be a hurdle in putting the other tigress in there because we have a small enclosure within the large one. So, the two would remain apart from each other.”

The new entrant to the enclosure is about two-years-old. The forest department hopes to let her gain hunting experience before releasing her back into the wild. “We hope this would keep her off cattle and thus away from human settlement,” Kakodkar said.

Avni was shot and killed on November 2, 2018.

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