Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The forest department is likely to take a decision on the ‘cattle-killer’ four felines including three tigers and a tigress currently being kept inside enclosures in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The big cats were shifted to enclosures after they failed to show any signs of surviving in the wild on their own and were found killing cattle for survival instead of preying upon cheetal and other herbivore animals in the jungle.
The wildlife experts and forest staffers keeping an eye on these big cats have now come to the conclusion that these big cats have developed all the traits necessary for surviving in the wild and so they can be released in the jungle any time.
The officials of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are waiting for the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Wildlife to take a call on the four big cats currently in enclosure. Sources in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve told Free Press that one tiger was caught and shifted to enclosure in October, while two were captured around four to six months back. Another big cat was caught around 12 days ago.
All the tigers were put in enclosures as instead of preying upon cheetal and other herbivore animals they were attacking cattle. The tigress was preying upon cattle- an easy catch - to raise its cubs. Even when the cubs after reaching a certain age left the mother tigress, the latter continued killing the cattle.
The forest staffers caught the cattle-killer and housed it in an enclosure. Since the tigress is young, the authorities might decide to give it to any national park for breeding purposes.
While studying the behavior of two tigers, it was found that the duo possess all necessary characteristics to survive in the wild. It is being fathom that they might have been preying on cattle to avoid the conflict with other tigers in the jungle. There is likelihood that the two would either be released in the jungle or be shifted to national parks having low tiger density.
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