Search launched to track tiger at Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve

Kota, Sep 20 (PTI) A reported tiger sighting has led to anoperation to locate and track the animal in Mukundra HillsTiger Reserve (MHTR) even as wildlife activists have demandedthat separate tiger habitats be demarcated at the Reserve. The reserve had been a home for several years to TigressT–35, which was found dead in suspicious conditions in theReserve on March 27 this year and no tiger has been sightedsince then. Forest officials suspect that a tiger may havestrayed in from the Ranthambore National Park. "A loco pilot of Western Express Train last night claimedthat he saw the tiger near Dara railway station along therailway track, following which an operation was launched toconfirm the presence of the tiger," said Deepak Gupta,Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) of the Reserve. Experts and forest personnel have been deployed inGagrone, Rawata and Dara ranges of the reserve and 19 trackingCCTV cameras have been installed at possible locations totrack  the tiger, Gupta further said. Possible presence of the tiger in the area cannot be ruledout as locals around Dara railway station have also reportedto have noticed the animal, Gupta said, adding that itspresence has not been confirmed so far. "The tiger is likely to have strayed from RanthamboreNational Park as the animal in past has taken the samecorridor," he added. In July, 2003, in a similar incident a tiger named ‘BrokenTail’ had strayed from Ranthambore into Mukundra and its footprints were noticed in Salzer region but it was killed afterbeing crushed by a moving train on a railway track, saidGupta. In order to avoid such mishap, efforts are on to trace theanimal for its safety and security, he added. Loco pilot I P Singh said that he saw the tiger near apole on Mumbai down track last night and reported the presenceof tiger to nearby Kavalpura station master. "It was a tiger along the railway track and I and myassistant noticed the animal for about 10 to 15 seconds," saidSingh. "Realising the importance of national animal, Iimmediately informed the senior officials about it," he added. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, stretching over an area of750 acre square kilometres, was declared Tiger Reserve onApril 9, 2013 and since then has been a regular home totigers. Brajesh Vijayvergeya, wildlife activist in Kota, said thepresence of tiger in the reserve could only be confirmed afterthe foot prints are traced. "Possibilities are there that the tiger might have movedto Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve from Ranthambore, since it hasalways been a possible home the tigers from Ranthambore,"Vijayvergeya said. He further said that the concerned departments should nowconstruct a Tiger Habitat in the reserve and localities whichfalls within the reserve should be relocated to other areas.PTI CORR RB RTRB