COIMBATORE: The Forest department incurred expenses of Rs 11.34 lakh during the 21-day for the operation to capture a tiger, labelled as MDT-23. at Masinagudi in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) from September 24 to October 15 last year.
U Sathish, an advocate in The Nilgiris, obtained the information through an RTI petition. “Earlier, forest department officials said the expenditure was less than Rs 6.5 lakh. To verify this, I filed an RTI petition. The department replied to the RTI, detailing that Rs 4,62,328 was spent funded by Udhagamandalam Forest Range and Rs 6,17,777 from Masinagudi Forest Range fund - so totally Rs 11,34,105.”
In September, locals staged a protest after the tiger allegedly killed four persons in Masinagudi and Gudalur.
Following this, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj issued a hunting order under section 11(1)(a) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. However, Madras High Court intervened in October 2021 and directed the forest department to capture the animal live.
Speaking to TNIE, D Venkatesh, Field Director of MTR, said, “Around 150 personnel from three forest divisions were involved in the operation to capture the tiger. The money was used only on essential needs like food, making cages, medicines and transportation etc. We had curtailed many expenses.”
RTI report said, two kumki elephants and three hound dogs were also involved in the ops, along with shooting squads from Kerala, Karnataka deployed at Masinagudi where the animal was spotted by the forest staff.