Tigress K4 has been carrying a snare wire for 16 months and the grip of the wire has gotten tighter as the tigress has grown.
Hyderabad: A two-and-a-half-year-old tigress known as K4 was found with wounds caused by a snare wire. Images of the same were circulated on social media to create awareness prompting police and authorities to search for the tigress to treat her.
The tigress with a snare wire around her abdomen was found in January 2017 in Chennur forest, Mancherial, Telangana. The poacher's trap put out to catch birds and mammals was found wrapped around the tigress' abdomen resulting in a deep wound.
Officials have been trying to contain her within a small border so that it is easy to track her in order to administer treatment. They have been using tiger's urine to keep the tigress within a small area.
The officials are trying to get rid of the wire around the tigress. It is known to have made regular kills including cattle.
The urine is collected from a zoo in Hyderabad and is sprayed on trees around the area where the tiger was known to have been spotted so that the tigress's movements are restricted.
It is said that the forest department feels that in this way the tigress can be tranquilised and treated.
K4 tigress is one of the four cubs of Sirpur tigress Phalguna. It is said that she was ensnared 16 months ago while sauntering into Chennur from the Sirpur forest. She has been carrying the piece of metal wire ever since and the noose has been getting tighter as the tigress has grown.
Reports claim that the Forest Department had formed a team to tranquilise the tigress in May. However, heavy rains made the efforts of the team go in vain as the land inside forest became slushy and it was difficult to trace the movements of the tigress.
The Forest Department officials are trying to restrict the movement of the tigress to an area 14 square kilometres, say reports.
Last Updated Dec 19, 2018, 1:50 PM IST