Authorities at Ranthambore National Park (RNP) are keeping their fingers crossed as their rigorous efforts to trace the missing tigress, Sundari, have yielded no result.
Her disappearance has put the lives of her three cubs, who are too young to go for a hunting, in jeopardy. Ranthambore officials said that the young ones are struggling to survive after their mother disappeared from her territory in first week of March.
However, three days back, park officials intensified their search when villagers on the fringe of Ranthambore National Park informed them that they had been hearing the roars of a tiger from nearby Uliyana and Kushalpur areas, which are not known for tiger habitat.
Following the tip-off, the park authorities set up four teams of forest guards to trace the missing tigress, but so far she could not be spotted.
Rajasthan Forest and Environment Minister Bina Kak is taking personal interest in the search operation. She stayed in the area to monitor the operation. “I am hopeful that the tigress would return soon to take care of her cubs, who are only 11-month old," Kak told The Pioneer.
During the initial days when Sundari went missing, the father of three cubs fed them. But later he also disappeared from the area and left the cubs at the mercy of forest officials.
As a normal behaviour among the big cats, the tiger father got himself separated from the family after a few months, as the mother is expected to take care of them.
No official is willing to say anything about the mission tigress. Some of them fear worst as only few weeks back carcass of Tiger T-37 was found in the adjoining area. Post-mortem on the body of the tiger revealed that he died due to some injuries. Other officials are still optimistic as so far no carcass of any other tiger / tigress has been found in the area.
About seven-year old Sundari is the last of the three litters of famous tigress Macchali. For the past few years, Sundari had made Khachida and Badlav areas of Ranthambore National Park her territory. She was among those tigresses, who were most spotted by the tourists.