'Want the killer tigress captured soon as locals are scared'

Tigress T-1, who is currently being tracked down by a team of 60 experts. File Pic

With controversial hunter Nawab Shafat Ali Khan out of the operation to hunt down rogue tigress T1, the focus is on the authorities to use state staff and machinery to capture the animal and her cubs.

Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told mid-day on Friday, that the nawab is officially out of the operation, as he had been sent back on the orders of union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi. Mungantiwar wants the operation to capture the tigress speeded up, as the locals are scared.

Sudhir Mungantiwar

Focus on big cat
Mungantiwar has asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) - Wildlife, AK Misra, to shift his headquarters from Nagpur to Pandharkawda till the operation to capture T1 is over. He has asked for reinforcements, staff and infrastructure to be made available to pursue the big cat. Honouring the concern shown by the BJP leader, Mungantiwar has asked the PCCF to call Gandhi every three hours and update her on developments.

"Other than calling her [Gandhi], the PCCF will also call me every three hours," the minister said at the state guesthouse, Sahyadri. But Mungantiwar said he had his doubts on whether the team working in the forest would be able tranquilise T1, or whether they would have to hunt it as the last resort. He said the expert team had taken full responsibility to trap or tranquilise the tigress, which has so far killed 13 persons in its habitat.

'Speed up operation'
He said he has requested the officials concerned to ensure that the man-eater is removed from the killer zone within the next two-three days, as the locals were scared and agitated. Mungantiwar recalled an instance in which a man-eater was poisoned by the locals when the authorities failed to kill it on their demand.

"One cannot judge from sitting in cities, the fear and related sentiments that prevail among the local people. It is they who bear the brunt and also cooperate with forest department officials to protect the forests and wildlife. There comes a time when we need to protect these people in a situation such as that we are seeing in Pandharkawda," said Mungantiwar.

Also Read: Tigress Hunt: Special Team Brought In From MP Miffed With Controversial Shooter

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