Maharashtra: Forest dept attempts to reunite strayed cub with tigress in ‘first-of-its-kind’ rescue after DNA match

“We began the operation on Thursday evening after the tigress was localised at a spot near a kill. The cub was taken there in a cage and we waited the whole night for the tigress to make a move. She, however, didn’t come close to the cage,” said Divisional Forest Officer Ashok Sonkusare, who is supervising the operation.

“We will be attempting it again on Friday,” he said, adding that the operation was conducted from dusk to dawn.

Sonkusare said, “Nearly two months have passed, it could be a while before the tigress accepts the cub. We are waiting.”

Man killed in tiger attack

A man was killed in a tiger attack near Tukum village at Nagbhid tehsil in Bhrahapuri forest division of Chandrapur district on Thursday. His body was found on Friday. The deceased, Rajendra Ganvir, 50, had gone to his farm on Thursday but did not return. “His body was found on Friday; he is believed to have been killed by a tiger,” said Chief Conservator of Forest Rama Rao. With this, the number of persons killed in tiger attacks in Vidarbha this year has gone up to 21, of which 15 of them were in Chandrapur district.