Sighting, no collar signal in ‘shadow zone’ challenges for tiger’s capture

Kolkata/Jhargram: The three-year-old Odisha tigress continued traversing the forests of Bengal's Belpahari range on Saturday, subsequent to its entry into the state from Jharkhand early on Friday morning.
No sighting of the big cat, which has purportedly not hunted since Friday, coupled with the intermittent collar signals due to inadequate network coverage since Saturday afternoon within the forest, has complicated the capture efforts for the foresters. However, signals were received from the collar late Saturday night from a hilly terrain in Belpahari range.
The Belpahari range encompasses approximately 17 ‘communication shadow zones' where network connectivity is very poor, according to sources.
Wildlife experts also cautioned that administering tranquilliser to a tiger that has not eaten enough food for an extended period could severely impact its health. However, chief conservator of forest S Kulandaivel said the feline had last consumed approximately 15-20 kg of prey two days ago in Jharkhand. Sources said the tigress likely consumed portions of buffalo calf offered as bait in Jharkhand and was sufficiently fed.
On Saturday morning, forest officials reported unsuccessful attempts to spot the tigress, which has covered over 10 km since Friday, but maintained surveillance through collar-emitted signals.Bengal chief wildlife warden Debal Roy indicated the tigress's movement in the forests of Belpahari-Bhulaveda. On using nylon nets to surround the area, Roy stated: "Nothing is off the table." Officials ventured deep into the Belpahari range after signal loss from the collar after midday.
Jhargram DFO Umar Imam said: "This is natural. There are hilly terrains here. At times we get signals, sometimes we don't. We alerted residents of 8 to 9 villages after getting the big cat's collar signals on Saturday morning."
An official said given the tigress's familiarity with capture-release procedures from its previous capture in Tadoba before relocation to Simlipal, it might demonstrate reluctance towards entering trap cages, regardless of bait.
Experts maintain that a two-day fasting period is unremarkable in natural conditions.They argued that 15-18 kg prey was insufficient for a mature big cat. Former Alipore zoo veterinarian D N Banerjee said: "A tiger naturally endures 5-6 days without sustenance in the wild. Verification of its last successful hunt or bait consumption is crucial before darting it," he added. The tigress could potentially proceed towards Bankura via Amlashole, Lalgarh, or Purulia through Jharkhand.