The C-1 tiger, the major attraction of Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary in Buldana district and who is famous for crossing 3000 km area covering Telangana and Ajantha range, has gone missing from the sanctuary since last six months.
The tiger was fitted with radio-collar but it was removed by forested after getting its battery discharged. The Forest Department then should have replaced the collar but failed to do so and hence now it has no track record of the big cat.
It may be mentioned here that C-1 belonging to Teipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pandharkawda, had moved from it to different places in search of a companion in 2019 and covered a distance of 3000 km. It then settled in Dnyanganga sanctuary.
It is suspected the tiger must have strayed either to Ambabarwa sanctuary or Yaval sanctuary in search of a mate. When contacted, Niranjan Vivarekar, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Gugamal Wildlife Division, who is holding additional charge at Akola since last month, said that the department installed camera traps at strategic points for capturing pictures of the big cat while field staff members were searching it in the forest areas.