Maharashtra: Tigress Responsible for 11 Deaths Captured in Chandrapur District

Chandrapur, Maharashtra – In a major relief for residents, forest officials successfully captured a notorious tigress, T-83, who had been responsible for the deaths of 11 people over the past three years. The tigress, which roamed the buffer and protected areas of the Mul tehsil in Chandrapur district, was tranquilized and caged on Saturday, September 28, following a highly coordinated operation by the forest department.

The Capture of Tigress T-83

The operation, which took place in the Janala area of the Chichpalli forest range, was carried out by a team of veterinarians and forest officials working under the guidance of sharp shooter Ajay Marathe and team leader Dr. Ravikant Khobragade. The tigress was spotted in Compartment No. 717 of the Janala Forest Block, where it was swiftly tranquilized and captured. This effort was executed by the Rapid Response Team (RRT) from the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), which had been deployed to the area to track and neutralize the threat posed by the tigress.

For years, residents of nearby villages like Janala, Kantapeth, and Chiroli had been living in fear, with human-wildlife conflict becoming an escalating concern. Despite repeated attempts to capture the elusive tigress by setting up cages in the past, she had successfully avoided capture until this recent operation.

Public Pressure and Forest Department Action

The order to capture T-83 was issued on September 23 after local representatives submitted multiple requests to the authorities. With mounting public pressure, the forest department responded by deploying its team to track the tigress. After days of intense searching and surveillance, the animal was finally subdued.

“This is a big relief as the tigress was captured after three years of evasion,” remarked a senior forest official. The successful capture brings much-needed safety to the surrounding communities, who had been terrorized by the predator for an extended period.

Aftermath and Relocation

Following her capture, the tigress was transferred to the Transit Treatment Center in Chandrapur, where she will undergo further evaluation. Plans are underway to move her to the Gorewada Zoo in Nagpur on Monday, ensuring she remains in a controlled environment and can no longer pose a threat to human lives.

Ongoing Search for Problem Leopard

While the capture of T-83 has brought a sense of relief to Chandrapur residents, efforts are still ongoing in the nearby Durgapur area to track a problem leopard that recently killed a 7-year-old boy. In response, the forest department has ramped up search efforts, including the installation of an additional 1.5-kilometer-long braided net to prevent predator entry from nearby shrubby forests into the Durgapur locality. Four strategically placed cages and intensified patrolling are currently in place to prevent further conflict.