The future of Tigress Avni's cub lie in the hands of the Maharashtra government now, who have been provided, time and again, with abundant theories and plan's to capture the cubs and relocate them to a safe haven. However, the question still remains, will they?
Several suggestion are flowing in now to the Maharashtra government, after the news of Tigress Avni's cubs, now sub-adults being found has surfaced. The cubs which are around 11-months old sub-adults now, were spotted in a healthy condition on one the camera traps set up by the the Forest Department.
Tigress Avni's cubs spotted on camera trap, alive and healthy
Dr. HS Prayag, forensic expert and Wildlife veterinarian who has been part of several wild animal captures, and more importantly, a 13-month old sub-adult capture in December, 2017 at Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, explained to MyNation a scientifically proven plan, which he believes can work positively in capturing Avni's sub-adult cubs too. During this capture, for the first time in India, advanced technology was implemented with the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, to provide officials with an aerial view and spot the tiger.
"JCB trucks were brought in to remove dense mangrove plants where the tiger was hiding. Sniffer dogs were also deployed as they have 10,000 times more smelling capacity, which can help in finding direction of the two sub-adults like how it did in previous captures as well. The trap must be 12- 15 feet high at least, to tackle the tiger if it tries to jump out", said Dr Prayag.
The sub-adult which was assumed to be abandoned by the mother, had already lost it's sibling to multi-organ failure, after which the forest personnel conducted an intense 48 hour operation, which consisted of over 150 personnel standing guard, setting up the trap and inviting wildlife veterinarians such as Dr Prayag, to provide the tranquilising dosage for the big cat.
"There is a standard operation procedure(SOP) that is to be followed during these captures but the NTCA's SOP does not specify a particular dosage for the cub, which makes it challenging, hence, a qualified registered veterinarian who is specialised in anaesthesia is preferred. This is why Wildlife vet's are pivotal for wild animal captures, which was a major missing factor in Maharashtra's T1 case, lead by Shafath Ali Khan and Asghar Ali Khan", stated Prayag.
Also read - Maharashtra T1 Avni's killer illegally carrying Schedule H narcotic drugs? (Video)
The future of Tigress Avni's sub-adult cubs lie in the hands of the Maharashtra government now, which have been provided, time and again, with abundant theories and plan's to capture the sub-adults and relocate them to a safe haven. However, the question still remains, will they?
When asked about the plan of action to capture the tigers, Dr Prayag said, "As far capture is concerned I feel there is enough professionals from all fields and there is no need for extra veterinarians at the site as of now. The current team is capable and experienced enough to execute the work. The strategies are on right tract and hopefully should result in success as soon as possible. People should not worry now or spread rumours, it’s a sincere appeal."
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