Drones, sniffer dogs and elite forest force were all put to work, even as another day went by with the Forest Department no closer to capturing the elusive tiger, T23, which remained undetected for a seventh day.
After closing the entire stretch between Masinagudi and Theppakadu to traffic, drones and forest personnel were deployed to locate the tiger, which has killed two persons in villages bordering the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Gudalur. The tiger is also suspected to be behind the deaths of two others, though this remains unproven.
Tracking the animal
More than 75 forest personnel, including expert trackers and special task force members, were engaged in on-ground operations to track the animal. Officials said the prime objective of the operation was to neutralise the animal through non-lethal methods using tranquilliser darts.
Also Read: Order issued to hunt Mudumalai’s tiger T23 after it kills one more person
A team of Forest Elite Force personnel from Coimbatore joined the operation late Saturday.
Bhosale Sachin Thukkaram, deputy director of MTR, core area, said the tiger had hidden itself in thick undergrowth in the areas surrounding Masinagudi. Camera traps are being set up to narrow the search area and locate the animal, he said. The operation will continue on Sunday.
The police stopped people from traveling past the Masinagudi check post, while forest staff have closed the Theppakadu check post. The entire stretch was declared as “operation area”. The road was reopened for traffic on Saturday evening. Forest officials said all efforts were geared towards tranquillising and capturing the tiger alive.
The Forest Department headquarters clarified that no shooting order had been issued (to kill the tiger) and the the order issued on Friday was for hunting. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, hunting includes capturing, trapping, tranquillising, restraining and killing only when all the above steps fail. All efforts are towards trapping the tiger, a senior official said.
Chief wildlife warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj also clarified that the tiger was not a man eater.
Locals protest
Villagers and kin of the 82-year-old man who died on Friday staged a protest in Masinagudi on Saturday, demanding that the tiger be killed. The protesters refused to bury the body of M. Basavan.
Forest officials and police rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesters, who eventually dispersed. The body was later buried.
