T1’S CUBS SPOTTED, COULD BE RESCUED SOON, SAYS FOREST DEPT; WELFARE GROUPS SCEPTICAL

AUTHORITIES HAVE PLACED 20 LIVE BAITS, TRAP CAGES AND 27 MUTTON PIECES TO LURE THE CUBS

MUMBAI:A day after Union minister Maneka Gandhi said the Maharashtra forest department had done nothing to rescue the two cubs of slain tigress T-1, aka Avni, a forest patrol said it spotted two 10-month-old cubs at two places on Thursday morning.

The two places were near Vihirgaon dam and near Anji village of the Pandharkawada forest area in Yavatmal.

The forest department said it will soon rescue the cubs. “The sighting is a positive indicator for us...all teams have been instructed to follow their movement and tranquillise them,” said AK Misra, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), state forest department.

Forest officers said camera traps had captured new images of the cubs and they seemed healthy.

However, they did not share the images.

Sunil Limaye, additional principal chief conservator of forest, Nagpur, said the cubs were lured using a recording of their mother’s voice, which was recorded last year.

“Tigress T-1 was spotted in this very region several times. Within a few hours of spotting the cubs, different teams were deployed to cover that zone for speedy tranquillisation. We are hopeful of rescuing them soon,” said Limaye. “We have placed 20 live baits, trap cages and 27 mutton pieces in specific areas to lure the cubs.”

Animal welfare groups are sceptical about the forest department’s claims. “There is no proof of what is actually happening within this forest area apart from what the department decides to reveal,” said Sarita Subramaniam from Earth Brigade Foundation who petitioned to stop T-1’s killing.

A forest officer associated with the rescue operation told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity that the patrolling team did not spot the cubs but were merely told by locals from the area that they had spotted cubs near Vihirgaon.