After more than four months’ speculation over a tiger’s movement in the Chandaka-Dampada sanctuary and its nearby areas, finally the forest personnel and Nandankanan zoo officials captured a wild Royal Bengal tiger late on Monday night when the cat was trying to enter into the tiger enclosure inside the zoo.
According to the zoo officials, the tiger was occasionally coming near the tiger enclosure where tigress Bijaya and Ragini were staying. After knowing the coming of the wild animal, the zoo authorities had fixed CCTV trap camera to take video footage of the movement of the tiger, they added.
On Monday night, the zoo officials and forest personnel were all set to trap the tiger by fixing the trap camera and light. According to the plan, zoo employees led by assistant director Kamal lochan Purohit and deputy director CR Mishra kept the tigresses in another enclosure by leaving their enclosure empty, while the emergency gate of the tiger enclosure was opened to lure wild tiger to enter into it. Continued on Page 4
Finally, officials trap wild tiger At around 12.01am, the wild tiger came near the tiger enclosure and entered into it. When the tiger entered, the employees closed the emergency gate and drove away him into the middle of the enclosure.
According to zoo director Sudarshan Panda, “The captured wild tiger is safe in the tiger safari of the zoo. It is a first incident in the country that a wild tiger entered into the zoo enclosure.”
Meanwhile, Nandankanan authorities are discussing with the PCCF Wildlife of the State and the Central Zoo authorities regarding the rehabilitation of the wild tiger. After discussion, the Nandankanan authorities would reveal whether the tiger would stay in the zoo or it would be released in the tiger sanctuary.
Notably, a leopard rescued from Sonepur had been released in the jungle. So, the tiger might be released like the leopard, said the sources.