Nets, darts, experts: Sundarbans model key to capturing elusive Odisha tigress
Times of India | 31 December 2024
1234 Kolkata: The Sundarbans model has emerged as the key to capture Odisha tigress Zeenat that kept the foresters of Odisha, Jharkhand and Bengal vigilant throughout.
From traversing dense forests to navigating rocky terrains of the Jangalmahal, the tigress made it arduous for officials to both track and capture it.
Finally, nylon nets, used in the Sundarbans to demarcate villages from forest zones and during capture of straying tigers, proved effective as it confined its movement within a small zone in Bankura's Gosaindihi village where it was tranquillised on Sunday.
Ex-chief wildlife warden of Bengal, Pradeep Vyas, who has spent several years in the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve as its field director, said these nets primarily function as a psychological barrier for the big cats. "Though they can leap over it, from our experience in the Sundarbans during such operations, we can ascertain that a tiger is so distressed that it tends to maintain distance from the nets and opts to retreat. Thus, we compel it to approach the tranquillisation team, facilitating the darting process. This has occurred during this operation, too," Vyas said.
Chief wildlife warden Debal Roy said use of these nets are indigenous to the Sundarbans. "We first tried to capture it via non-invasive process such as trap cage with baits. When it didn't work we used the nets that were first used to surround its location and then narrow it down so that it can't escape. The tigress was avoiding human contact and was very efficient in prey-taking," he added.
According to Vyas, in Sundarbans, personnel like Mrityunjay Biswas, who have been darting tigers for 15-20 years, encounter such challenging situations more frequently compared to other landscapes in India. "This has rendered them capable of handling field situations efficiently," he added. Biswas (58) administered the dart to the tigress on Sunday.
Between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022, at least eight tiger straying cases were reported in the Sundarbans.
Vyas cautioned that states planning to introduce tigers in areas bordering other states must act swiftly if the big cat strays beyond state territory and dart it promptly to retrieve it.
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