Chandrapur, Nov 21 (PTI) Forest officials in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur have found the remains of a dead tiger during a search operation in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), but said it was missing from the area in August this year. Whether these are the remains of the popular tigress ‘Maya’ or not will be known only after analysis.
Forest officials said that whether the tiger whose remains were found was male or female has not yet been established, the sample of bones collected during the expedition has been sent for analysis to the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru.
This clarification comes after it was reported in a section of the media and social media that the dead animal was T-12 (a tigress named ‘Maya’).
Maya had gone missing in August this year, following which 150 TATR personnel had launched an intensive surveillance operation through cameras and regular patrolling from October 7 to trace her.
An official said that every nook and corner of Tadoba and Kolara range, where ‘Maya’ used to roam, was searched during this operation.
He said that T-12 was not found in the area but the forest team found scattered remains of a tiger’s body in the Tadoba area on November 18.
TATR Regional Director Jitendra Ramgaonkar said, “It was seen in the media, including social media, that the information shared by TATR was misinterpreted and it was assumed that TATR administration had announced the death of T-12.” . TATR office has not in any way indicated the death of Tigress T-12.
He said that efforts are on to detect T-12 in and around TATR through regular patrolling and cameras installed at various places.
“The bone samples collected during routine patrolling have been sent to the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru for further analysis,” he said. “Which animal these remains belong to and whether it was male or female will be known after the results are received from NCBS Bengaluru and then it will be shared.”
Language Rajkumar Pavnesh
Pavnesh
