GURGAON: A 3-year-old male tiger is believed to have travelled 125km from the Sariska reserve in Rajasthan to Jhabua forest in Rewari for the second time in eight months.
Forest division officers initiated a seek for the animal (ST-2302) after its pugmarks have been noticed within the Aravali forest on Saturday night. The tiger is more likely to have wandered out of Sariska final week and travelled by the Sahibi river, the place different animals come to drink water and supply a really perfect prey base.
On its option to Rewari, ST-2302 was noticed in Khairthal-Tijara district on the Rajasthan border on Thursday, when it attacked a neighborhood farmer.”A tiger’s pugmarks have been first seen on Saturday night. Extra marks have been found after the 800-acre Jhabua forest was scanned on Sunday morning. Since we’ve tigers solely in Sariska within the area, the pugmarks have been matched with the information there they usually have been discovered to be of ST-2302,” mentioned Deepak Patil, the divisional forest officer of Rewari. 5 to seven groups of foresters have been stationed within the Jhabua forest to make sure the animal doesn’t stray into the close by villages and create panic there.
Nonetheless, since some areas of the forest are troublesome to penetrate, tranquilising and trapping the elusive large cat is simpler mentioned than executed, officers mentioned. “If it is ST-2302, it is the identical tiger that wandered into Rewari this Jan. The forest boasts of a sturdy prey base, and an grownup tiger can survive right here for just a few days. We’re being vigilant. However we hope the tiger goes again to its authentic habitat by itself with out straying into villages within the neighborhood,” Patil mentioned.
One other forest official mentioned the Jhabua jungle had ample areas that supplied an appropriate camouflage to the animal. However millet fields within the space have been a potential hiding spot too.
“Tigers conceal themselves in millet fields as these present glorious camouflage. The peak of the crops additionally permits them to stay hidden,” the official mentioned.
In January, ST-2302 had returned to Sariska after staying within the Rewari forest for 4 days. In keeping with Patil, the tiger had taken the identical route then too. “After wandering out of Sariska, it had strayed into Bhiwadi on the Haryana-Rajasthan border. It was noticed in Sukh Kheda village, the place it attacked a farmer on Jan 18,” he mentioned.
“Two days later, the large cat reached the Aravali terrain of Rewari by way of Kharkhara and Nandrampur Bass. It hid within the mustard fields for 4 days earlier than going again by itself. Your complete journey shall be round 125km,” the divisional forest officer mentioned.
AP Pandey, further principal chief conservator of forests in south Haryana, mentioned they have been coordinating with their counterparts in Rajasthan to hint the tiger and ship it again.
However animal behavioural consultants consider the tiger will hint the identical path again by itself. Wildlife biologist Sumit Dookia advised TOI that it appeared ST-2302 was searching for a separate habitat of its personal.
“Look, Sariska is dwelling to greater than 40 tigers. In such conditions, we regularly discover that stronger males push away these which might be comparatively weak. So, this tiger might have been searching for a habitat. This additionally means that the wildlife hall between Sariska and Haryana Aravalis is sort of lively and needs to be protected effectively,” he mentioned.
However the grownup male tiger might return quickly because the area doesn’t have a feminine tiger, based on Dookia.
“Additionally, 800 acres is just too small an space for an grownup tiger. Ideally, such animals require something between 5-250sqkm, relying on the prey base,” he added.
