Missing tigers: 15 teams scan forests in Asifabad

Officials have deployed 15 teams comprising 80 animal trackers and volunteers of NGOs were scanning the forests to find the whereabouts of the tigers.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Forest officials have intensified a search to trace two cubs and a mother tiger which were suspected to have consumed a poisoned cattle kill in forests of Darigaon village in Kaghaznagar mandal.

The mother tiger, S6, which migrated from Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, gave birth to four cubs in 2021. One of her cubs, named S15, was found dead on Saturday, while the carcass of her male companion, S9, was spotted on Monday. While territorial fight is attributed to the death of the first tiger, S9 is suspected to have died after consuming the poisoned cattle kill.

---

A cow was killed by the tigers in the Darigaon forests on January 31. As per footage from a camera trap that was installed near the cattle kill on Sunday, S6 and her two cubs were seen feeding on the carcass of the cow. The footage has prompted officials to look out for the remaining tigers of the family, since the cattle kill was suspected to have been poisoned.

Officials have deployed 15 teams comprising 80 animal trackers and volunteers of NGOs were scanning the forests to find the whereabouts of the tigers. The teams were initially searching a five kilometre radius from the spot where the carcasses of the two tigers were found. The area will be expanded to 10 km and the number of trackers enhanced on Thursday, if the current teams are unable to track the missing tigers.

Forest officials meanwhile have lodged a complaint with police over the poisoning of the cattle kill. They are making efforts to nab the culprit who poisoned the carcass of the cattle. It is learnt that four to five cows of a villager in a forest fringe village were killed by tigers recently. The villager is suspected to have poisoned the carcass of the cow to eliminate the tiger after being upset over the delay in getting compensation.