Tigress traced in Mhadei sanctuary
VISHANT VAZE, BICHOLIM | 20 April 2013 10:08 IST
Tigress returns after drinking water in Mhadei sanctuary
Range Forest officer Paresh Parob and his team finally did it. They traced a tigress in Mhadei sanctuary, proving the opponents wrong.
Parob had in fact taken it up as a challenge when stories started pouring in that tigers have become extinct from Mhadei sanctuary.
He was on a trail since 9 April, collecting different evidences including pug marks since then.
On 17 April, a wild boar was found killed in the morning. A tiger was suspected once again.
The team led by Parob laid a trap.... meaning five trap cameras with a censor were installed at various places, to trace the movement of the tiger.
But the tigress apparently shifted the direction and the mission failed.
The team once again traced a new direction and laid down the trap cameras next day, on 18 April by 6.40 pm.
And yes, by 7.35 pm, the tigress was captured in the cameras....
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests was overwhelmed with the mission.
“This has proved that the movement of tigers in the Mhadei wild life sanctuary is a reality. I am really proud of the whole team,” he said.
The team, besides Parob, consisted of Nanda Dabhekar, forest guards Premkumar Gaonkar and others.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar described it as the ‘biggest award for Parob in his career than any other award.’
Animal lover Amrutsing said it’s a great moment of satisfaction since the forest officials have been on this mission for the last 15 years.
According to him, this could be the same tigress that was predicted to be wondering at different places of Bicholim and Sattari forests.
The tiger moves in an area of 65 kilometres of circumference and hence the pug marks, which were found in different areas of North Goa, have been proved to be of the tiger.
Well done Paresh. Congratulation to you and your team. It is only because of dedicated people like you guys that our wildlife is thriving inspite of various kinds of pressure.