The Forest Department, on Saturday evening, tranquillised a male tiger identified as ‘another one’ than the elusive tiger that killed a woman three days ago in Ramtek taluka. While searching for the elusive ‘female’ tiger, the foresters reported movement of a male tiger in the same Jhinjaria village on Friday. The tiger, tranquilised on Saturday, had killed a cattle two days ago in Paoni (UC) in Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR). “It is the same tiger that killed a cattle in the forest area. We were monitoring movement of the tiger for last two days. On Saturday, we got a chance to tranquillise the beast.

 

The process took place around 5.45 pm by a veterinarian,” Dr Prabhunath Shukla, told The Hitavada. Fed-up of repeated tiger attacks in Ramtek taluka in the last few months, anguished villagers had attacked forest staff on last Tuesday. Tension prevailed after a tiger killed Nita Buddhu Kumbhare (65). Kumbhare, a resident of Jinjiriya village, lost her life in a tiger attack when she was working in a farm situated near the forest. Since then, the forest teams were on search of the elusive tiger, which was later identified as a female tiger. Meanwhile, the team noticed a male tiger which was also venturing in the same forest area where the female tiger had killed the tribal woman. To avoid territorial fight and another human death, the Forest Department decided to capture the tiger. The task was accomplished by tranqualising it on Saturday evening. “Our search operation is on 24x7. Our teams are extensively patrolling the forest area in search of the elusive female tiger,” said Dr Shukla. 

 

 

Former Ramtek MLA and BJP leader Mallikarjun Reddy, on Saturday, appealed forest department to take the matter of increasing man-animal conflict in Ramtek taluka seriously and take bold steps to curb this menace. While talking with The Hitavada, Reddy said, “All the victims of man animal conflict want justice and help from the department. They lost their family members and if the same incidents are taking place continuously in their surrounding cause panic among others. Therefore, the department should take bold steps to ensure the safety of villagers.”

 

Reddy also said that he discussed the issue of man-animal conflict in Ramtek taluka with the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He advised the senior officials to mitigate the issue. However, human death is still going on and the tigers are still elusive. Reddy also advised the department to use drones to search the elusive tiger and use sirens in forest boundaries to make villagers aware in case of wild animals enters agriculture fields or villages.