Hours after a tigress was tranquilised and captured from an abandoned rubber factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, the big cat was sent back to the wilderness, about 150 kilometres away, in the south Sonaripur range of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve on June 18.
The tigress had been residing on the premises of the rubber factory for about 15 months. Deputy Director, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Naveen Khandelwal told Gaon Connection that the rubber factory was abandoned almost 30 years ago and it is spread across 500 hectares. The factory is situated approximately 90 kilometres from the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
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Here is a glimpse into the moment when the shutter of the cage containing the tigress was lifted and she briskly embraced the turf of her natural habitat:
“The area around the factory is full of wild boars, black bucks and macaques which ensured a regular supply of prey for the tigress and it chose to live on the premises rather than going back to the jungle,” Khandelwal said.
The official statement informed that a team led by field director Javed Akhtar from the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve had been dispatched to trap the tigress. The officials had secured the perimeter of the abandoned factory but it was difficult to tranquilise the animal at the location where the tigress was roaming as it could have been risky for the team.
“Finally, the tigress was lured towards a tank where it got stuck and an earth mover was used to tear open the tank following which the animal was safely tranqulised,” it added.
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