Remains of big tiger found in Tadoba Andhari Sanctuary
Mumbai: Maya, one of India’s famous and most photographed tigresses, is feared dead. A celebrity of sorts, Maya or T-12, also known as the ‘Queen of Tadoba’, was a resident of the Pandharpauni core area of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
According to preliminary assessment by the Maharashtra Forest Department, Maya died due to natural causes.
Maya was born in December 2010 to a tigress named Leela and a male tiger named Hilltop Tiger.
Since Maya has given birth five times – 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2022 – and given birth to a total of 13 cubs.
She was captured in systematic camera trap exercises continuously since 2014 and was last captured during Phase IV exercises during March–May 2023.
Maya was last seen by a TATR patrol in August in the Panchdhara area near Tadoba Lake.
Chief Conservator of Forest and TATR Field Director Dr. Jitendra Ramgaonkar has started foot patrolling and search operation in search of Maya.
“On November 18, 2023, search teams found remains of a tiger in compartment number 82 of Tadoba beat of Tadoba range. The remains included the skeleton of a tiger and were scattered over a radius of about 100 metres. All the remains were carefully gathered together, and samples were collected for DNA analysis by wildlife veterinarians and biologists for further analysis. According to the wildlife veterinarian the remains were in a very advanced stage of decomposition and were not suitable for further postmortem examination. Furthermore, given the location of the remains and the absence of any human activity in the area, the death of the tiger is clearly due to natural causes,” the MFD said.
The samples were sent to the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru for DNA analysis.
Its report is expected to come by November 30.
As part of the search, the entire area of Tadoba and Kolara ranges, known as her area and movement area, was covered during the exercise. In this process, 10 different tigers (6 females and 7 males), namely T 07, T 114, T 115, T 158, T 16, T 120, T 138, T 164, T 168, T 181 and T 100 caught up. Area from 8 October 2023. However, T12 was not captured in the field, raising the possibility of its absence in the field.
As a last resort, an intensive foot patrolling cum search operation was conducted from 16–18 November with the help of all frontline personnel of the TATR Corps area, in which the remains were found.
