The menacing sub-adult tiger from Gadchiroli district that killed five persons in the last one month is still elusive, despite efforts being made by the forest department to capture it. The toll of persons killed in tiger attracts during the last one year has now gone to 15.
When contacted Dr Kishor Mankar, Conservator of Forest, Gadchiroli, told The Live Nagpur on Friday that forestmen had put up a bait outside the cage in compartment no: 54 in Porla Forest Range in Wadsa tehsil but the big cat killed the bait on the intervening night of Thursday-Friday, consumed it and disappeared. This was noticed in the morning as the two forest teams, including one consisting of jawans from Special tiger Protection Force of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve, Gondia, have undertaken combing operation in the jungle areas from dawn to dusk. There are also two shooters for tranquilising the tiger and veterinary officers in the teams. The department has installed as many as 70 camera traps at strategic points and kept two cages, he pointed out.
Dr Mankar further said, one mother tigress and four cubs are moving in the area and out of them this sub-adult tiger has got separated from the family. Therefore, it could not be pinpointedly said that only this sub-adult tiger killed 15 persons during the year.