Pune: The forest head office in Nagpur on Friday issued an order to chief conservator of forests, Pune circle, to capture the male tiger spotted in Solapur district and shift him to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) after radio collaring the big cat.
The 2.5-year-old tiger born at Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in 2022, said to have disappeared from the area in May 2023, was sighted at Yedshi Ramaling Wildlife Sanctuary in Dharashiv district in December 2024. After covering a distance of about 500 km, the big cat entered Solapur district area and was last seen in Vairag area. Officials of Dharashiv and Solapur forest departments are tracking the tiger’s movement since last one month.
Meanwhile, to avoid possible threat to humans, poaching or any other mishap, the chief conservator of forests, Pune circle sent a proposal to forest headquarters in Nagpur in December last year about relocation of the tiger in Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.
Responding to the proposal, chief wildlife warden Vivek Khandekar, issued an order to chief conservator of forests, Pune forest circle and forest conservator, Aurangabad on January 10 stating that the big cat be captured and shifted to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in western Maharashtra. The instruction has been given under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 Section 11 (1) (C). The direction states that the animal can be tranquilised under expert guidelines if needed and radio collared before shifting to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. Khandekar also instructed director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger project to send their quick response team to help both the forest departments in capturing the tiger.
The order also mentioned health check-up conducted after the tiger is being captured. To authorities are given 15 days to submit an action plan and complete the shifting of animal by February 28. The order stated that since his sighting in Dharashiv and Solapur districts, the tiger has so far killed 16 animals in livestock category.
{{/usCountry}}The order also mentioned health check-up conducted after the tiger is being captured. To authorities are given 15 days to submit an action plan and complete the shifting of animal by February 28. The order stated that since his sighting in Dharashiv and Solapur districts, the tiger has so far killed 16 animals in livestock category.
{{/usCountry}}NR Praveen, chief conservator of forests, Pune forest circle, said, “We have received the order and will translocate the tiger to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve with the help of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger reserve team. We do not want any human-wildlife conflict in the region due to the big cat.”