Foresters on toes to trap killer tiger in Asifabad
From 100 CCTV camera traps to live baits, officials leave no stone unturned to accomplish mission
Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Sustained efforts and a slew of measures by foresters to capture a killer tiger for the last two months seem to not have yielded the desired results so far as the big cat has still been moving in different parts of the wild. The officials, however, have been trying other ways to accomplish the mission and to prevent further human loss.
The Forest Department authorities are leaving no stone unturned to trap the carnivore, named A2, which is suspected to have killed two tribal youngsters in Kaghaznagar division in November last. They set up over 100 CCTV camera traps to track the movement of the solitary animal and 10 cage traps consisting of live baits in order to capture it.
The officials have also erected a wooden machan, kept a cage trap and arranged a shed for staffers at a spot in Bejjur range. They strategically put live bait, a cow, about 20 metres away from the trap to draw the tiger. The tiger killed the cattle on Monday, rekindling hopes of the authorities, who believe that they would be able to succeed in their endeavour soon.
“The big cat will certainly visit again the spot where it attacked the cow recently. Then, the job of trapping the territorial animal can easily be done. A rapid rescue team belonging to Maharashtra, tiger trackers and two veterinary doctors for administering tranquilizers were roped in for entangling the killer tiger,” a senior forester told Telangana Today.
Camping at the spot
A team of officials led by Chief Conservator of Forest CP Vinod Kumar is camping at Kandi Bheemanna region of Talayi beat in Bejjur range to monitor the operation for the past few days. The team is convening meetings with authorities assigned to capture the tiger and sharing their insights at regular intervals. The camping will continue as long as the big cat is trapped, according to sources.
It is learned that the authorities are now using drone cameras to closely track its movement. They set up CCTV camera traps at Rajakka Devara, Mattadi Spring anicut and many other spots that register movement of the killer tiger in Bejjur forest range.
Tiger sighting triggers panic
Meanwhile, a motorist Anil claimed that he spotted a tiger at a stream between Salugupalli and Sulugupalli villages in Bejjur mandal when he was coming from Penchikalpet on Wednesday night. This incident created panic among dwellers of forest fringe villages in Bejjur, Penchikalpet and Dahegaon mandals.
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