Maharashtra: One of two cubs of tigress 'Avni' captured

One of the two cubs of Yavatmal tigress 'T1' alias 'Avni', who was shot dead last month, was captured, a senior Maharashtra forest officer said.

A joint team of officials from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh forest departments managed to tranquilise and capture the female cub in Anji forest in Yavatmal district in east Maharashtra in the afternoon.

"The one-year-old female cub was tranquilised and caught at compartment no 665 in the Anji forest in Ralegaon at around 4 pm", said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife East, Nagpur, Sunil Limye.

A team of around 100 people, including six veterinary officers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have been tracking the cub since November 2 when T1, which was responsible for deaths of some people in the region, was shot dead by a sharp-shooter who was part of a team of Forest officials.

"The cub will now be sent to Pench and will be kept in an enclosure which is almost like an open forest. The cub is physically fit. A committee will be formed to decide about its release in wild", Limye said.