Amid apprehension that the State’s celebrated tiger “Jay” might have fallen prey to poachers, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday requested the Centre seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Jay’s disappearance from the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary near Nagpur.

Seven-year-old male tiger Jay — whose official name is UK-T1 — was the star tiger of the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, located 58 km away from Nagpur. Jay has been missing from the Sanctuary since April 18. 

Maharashtra’s Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested him that the investigation into Jay’s disappearance be handed over to the CBI. Mungantiwar’s personal request to the Union Home Minister came a day after he handed over a letter to the Union Home Minister about the disappearance of Jay.

Mungantiwar took up the matter with Union Home Minister after BJP MP from Bhandara-Gondiya Nana Patole went to town saying that Jay was untraceable and that he feared that the wild cat might have been killed.

“Patole’s statement is extremely serious. We have, therefore, demanded that investigation of Jay be handed over to the CBI. We would also like the CBI to obtain evidence from Patole and proceed with the investigations,” Mungantiwar said in a statement issued after meeting the Union Home Minister.  

In his statement, Mungantiwar said that the tiger, known as Jay in Umred Karhandla, sanctuary had remained unaccounted for a long time and its disappearance led to anxiety among the wild life and forest lovers. “In this background, this investigation would be very crucial,” he said.

Jay’s disappearance from the sanctuary came to the forest authorities’ notice after a new radio collar attached to it to the Indian Wild life Organisation got disconnected from the satellite on April 18. 

Born in Nagzira sanctuary, Jay entered Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary in June 2013 after travelling around 100 to 120 km. Ever since his entry, he would roam around the sanctuary spread over an area of 189.29 sq kms in Nagpur and Bhandara districts.

Since the tiger Jay had become popular among the wild- life lovers and the tourists, the regional staff was strictly monitoring him on a daily basis.

Jay’s significant existence in Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary can be gauged from the fact that three tigresses from Umred Karhad sanctuary had given birth to 9 cubs from tiger Jay tiger. The age of all the cubs is more than 18 to 24 months.

According to a statement issued by the State Forest ministry, a team of wildlife conservation officials Dr. Bilal Habib and Dr. Parag Nikam had attached a radio collar to him on September 15, 2015 to monitor Jay's movement, to determine his territory and to ensure his safety.

However, owing to technical impairment, the satellite connection of the radio collar snapped, but his ground tracking was going on through VHF. “Then March 18, 2016, the same two-member team again attached a radio collar to him. This new radio collar too got disconnected from the satellite on April 18. Efforts have been made through VHF for his ground tracking and also camera traps have been used to search him. But they have not been successful yet,” the statement said.

The forest officials say that the estimated age of Jay tiger is around 7 to 8 years. “At such age, other more young and more fit male tigers can challenge the original male tiger over the territory. Out of 9 cubs in Umred Karhad sanctuary, 7 are male and their age is around two to two and half years. Considering the small area of 187 sq km of Umred Karhad, it is not possible that 7 to 8 male tigers live together,” the wildlife conservation team members Dr Habib and Dr Nikam said.

According to two team members, Jay might have had to decide whether he wishes to continue living in Umred Karhad sanctuary and compete with other younger males or go for area where there are no male tigers.

Expressing optimism that Jay might have shifted his base to some other forest area, Dr Habib said: “It is logical that an experienced tiger such as Jay would have avoided competition and go to other areas. This could be one reason due to which Jay tiger is not seen in area of Umred Karhad sanctuary. It is consistent with natural system that for reproduction of healthy offspring, the older male tiger lives his area for younger and fitter males”.