COIMBATORE/CHENNAI: The injured male tiger, officially known as MDT-23, continues to dodge all efforts of the forest-department teams to capture it. Tuesday marked the 11th day of operations at Singara forest range of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), which ended on a disappointing note, having not been able to net the tiger despite sighting it.
According to sources, a team of forest personnel reportedly spotted the tiger at the Singara range around 11 am. But, the animal disappeared in the thickets before the team could prepare the tranquiliser. The department has set up three temporary lofts on trees for reconnaissance. To lure the big cat out, cattle have been tethered at three spots.
Meanwhile, a buffalo was killed by a tiger in the Singara range on Tuesday. It, however, has not been ascertained whether it was killed by T-23 or another tiger.
Minister’s visit
Minister for Forest K Ramachandran reviewed the search operation for the tiger on Tuesday evening. He, however, did not reveal the status of the operation officially. He said the operation is being carried out.
The forest department started the combing operation on September 24 after T-23 reportedly killed a fourth person in the same range. Consequently, over 100 forest department personnel, along with a Special Task Force from Erode and a team from Kerala forest department, was engaged in the operation. Two kumki elephants and three sniffer dogs, too, have been pressed into service.
Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj said the tiger was very elusive and not giving any chance for the team to tranquilise it. “lt avoided the bait cages for the past several days. Every effort is being taken to capture the animal alive.
“During the operation, the tracking and the darting teams came very close to the animal at meticulously identified locations using tracking signs, such as pug marks and other signs. But they couldn’t dart the tiger as it escaped into the thickets and the highly undulating terrains,” he said.