RISHIKESH, Jan 4: Efforts have been paced up to rescue an elusive tigress who has been moving about with a wire stuck around the lower part of its stomach for around a year.
Two cages have been put up at places frequented by the tigress in the Surai range of Terai East Forest Division, its DFO Sandeep Gupta said.
The 10-year-old tigress has been living under the observation of scientists in the range located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. However, it has not been rescued yet, he said.
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A five-member team including Sub Divisional Forest Officer Sanchita Verma, a veterinarian and a wildlife scientist has been formed to carry out the work, Gupta said.
The team will decide on the spot whether to tranquilise the animal or imprison it in a cage, he said, adding that 35 camera traps have been installed in the surrounding forest area.
In January 2023, the tigress was seen by a patrol team in the forest and a wire noose was wrapped around its stomach near its hind legs.
After the patrol team informed the higher officials in this regard, camera traps were installed on the spot and continuous photographs of the tigress were seen in 26 out of 35 camera traps.
The monitoring report of the tigress was sent to Uttarakhand Wildlife Warden and National Tiger Conservation Authority, on which a joint team was formed and the process of capturing the animal was started.
The Surai range of the forest division is adjacent to the Semal Kuan forest area in the Mahof range of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve of Uttar Pradesh.
The tigress was also seen on January 1 and 2 in the camera trap installed on the 100-foot-high fire line of Surai range. (PTI)
