Udhagamandalam: “This is the first time troubled tiger captured alive in Tamil Nadu.
It was in the prime,” Principal of the Shekar Kumar Niraj Forest Conservator told TII.
But trapping MDT-23 (Mudumalai Division Tiger 23) is not an easy task and operation lasts three weeks.
Injured and pushed out of his territory by young migers, 13-year-old MDT-23 killed the residents of Muduguli Village in the core area of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on July 19.
According to the Department of Forest official, the big cat was then found roaming on the Devarshola private tea plantation.
It killed a plantation worker in the Devan I plantation on September 24.
It also killed four heads of livestock in the area.
After the operation was launched to arrest it, Tiger went for Singara Range in the MTR buffer zone, which is 32 km away.
On October 1, it killed a tribal man in Hamlet Kurumbarpadi near Masinagudi.
Search operations were intensified by involving a special team from Wayanad in Kerala, three dog sniffers, members of the Special Task Force (STF), two KUYKI elephants and elite special forest teams.
Operation continues for 22 days.
However, in the last five days, the team’s strength decreased to 30, and further until 10 on Thursday.
After getting permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and adjusting to the protocol, the tiger was sent to the MySore Zoo for treatment.
Four veterinarians and several forest officials accompanied the animal.
“Tiger will be given special facilities at the zoo for treatment.
Before transportation, intravenous glucose was given and his pulse was examined,” said Niraj.
“All procedures are documented and videographs,” he added.
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