Search for Avni's male cub intensifies as trapped female cub settles in Pench Tiger Reserve

While the male cub of tigress T1 also nicknamed as Avni continues to dodge attempts being made by officials from the Maharashtra State Forest Department to trap it, the female cub who was trapped on December 22, has now settled in its 10-hectare enclosure at Pench Tiger Reserve.

As per forest officials, the female cub (official name PK T1-C1) who is currently in the Titralmangi enclosure in Pench Tiger Reserve was being continuously monitored through CCTV and was being fed following the technical advice of experts. It was also isolated so as to minimise the human imprinting, which is needed for the successful release of the tiger cub in the wild, as per the protocol of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

"Since she was shifted to a new place her initial activities were limited but by Tuesday she seemed used to the surroundings and was also well settled. She is being fed meat and within few days she will be given live baits to kill and eat," said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Sunil Limaye adding that this was a huge fenced area and part of the forest.

Meanwhile the officials have intensified the search for the male cub at Pandharkawda. "The male is taking refuge in the huge lantana plantation making it a difficult task to locate it but we are sure that within next couple of days we would be able to trap it. We have even reduced the circumference of the fencing put up to further close in on the cub," informed Limaye.

According to senior officials once the male cub is trapped it will too be released in a similar enclosure as these enclosures are huge in size and located in a forest landscape it helps the cubs adapt to living in wild. "It might take a month for the NTCA expert team to observe the cubs and decide where to release the cubs and in between as per suggestions we might even keep the cubs together," he said.

Meanwhile the worry of wildlife lovers has been mounting as they demand that both the cubs should be released on priority in their natural habitat.

T1's Tale:

Tigress T1 was shot dead on November 2, by Asghar, son of controversial Hyderabad-based hunter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan after which the forest department initiated the search for the two cubs and it was only after 13 days- on November 15 that for the first time a patrolling team got the first glimpse of these cubs. Once spotted the forest department began keeping a watch on their movement and also setting up baits, which the two cubs began killing and consuming.