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Supreme Court allows Maharashtra seal man-eating tigress' fate

The top court's decision came on a mercy petition by non-profit Earth Brigade Foundation, which failed to get a favourable order from the Bombay High Court last week.

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The fate of a tigress that has killed nine people in the Ralegaon forests of Maharashtra's Yavatmal district over the past five months will be decided by forest officials, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday, putting an end to efforts by animal lovers to save its life.

The apex court left it to the principal chief conservator of forest, who has already issued a shoot-at-sight order for T-1, saying the department was free to either kill the big cat or tranquilize and relocate her.

The top court's decision came on a mercy petition by non-profit Earth Brigade Foundation, which failed to get a favourable order from the Bombay High Court last week.

Focus turned to T-1 in the Pandharkawada forest in January 2018 after it preyed on grazers. While the state ordered to sedate her, the plan was put on hold after she delivered two cubs. Recently, the conflict sustained as deaths were reported at frequent intervals on August 4, 11 and 28. Officials said she gored her targets and had eaten 60 per cent of the human corpse.

The national animal is a Schedule I Endangered Species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and enjoys the highest protection. But law treats it differently when it turns against humans. Their numbers have been dwindling in the past and going by their present count of 2,226, the Government of India in 2013 released norms, also called standard operating procedure, to deal with man-animal conflicts involving endangered animals.

Alarmed by her kill rate, Maharashtra decided on September 4 to put her sleep, prompting Earth Brigade Foundation to move the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay HC contending that the state had violated the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The NGO said the tigress did not stray into human settlements as the victims were found inside the demarcated area within the wild beast's habitat. It also argued that T-1 could have acted out of instinct to protect her cubs.

The HC and SC sided with the forest officials saying human lives were at stake. The SC agreed with the view that the state would do its best to follow rules. This means attempts would be made to relocate the tigress with her cubs after sedating them. If that fails, she will meet her end.

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