Another tiger cub caught in Chandrapur

Vivek Deshpande Posted online: Sunday , Sep 20, 2009 at 0252 hrs

Nagpur : Two days after a tiger cub, a female, was caught by a villager at Sukhwasa in Gondpipri village of Chandrapur district, another cub, also a female of around the same age — one-and-half-years— was trapped in a cowshed at nearby Ganeshpipri village. Forest officials feel the two could be siblings who lost their way after their mother’s disappearance. They say only a DNA test would prove if they are related.

The cub entered the cowshed of Balaji Chafle and attacked the cows. Chafle rushed in, shut the door and called other villagers. Villagers used bamboo sticks to keep it at bay till the forest staff arrived and caught it.

The villagers were not ready to let them take the cub away demanding immediate compensation. After much persuasion, they allowed it to be taken to Zaran Nursery near Gondpipri where the earlier cub has been kept.

“We have been searching for the mother, but she is untraceable,” said Conservator of Forest, South Chandrapur, K Narasimhulu. Asked if he suspects she could have been poached, he said, “we can’t say so. We have formed eight teams to trace her.”

Recent history of cubs found, however, doesn’t conform to this claim. This is the fourth recent instance of a cub being found orphaned or left to fend for itself.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Rajesh Gopal had, during his visit last month to the district, praised the rich wildlife around Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve saying, “I haven’t seen such rich wildlife outside tiger reserves anythere else .” He had promised all possible aid, financial and material, to protect it. The divisions have been asked to prepare plans to be put up before the NTCA.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/another-tiger-cub-caught-in-chandrapur/519272/

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