Chandrapur forest division team with the captured tiger T-122
Chandrapur : After outwitting forest teams for nearly three weeks, tiger T-122 which killed three villagers and mauled another in the last two months, was captured on Saturday after it entered a specially designed walk-in enclosure in the Samda forest of Saoli taluka here. A special operation was launched on Sept 27 to capture the six-year-old tiger that terrorised residents of Samda, Nilasni, Pedgaon, Sonapur and Wagholi-Buti for a month. The massive 30 x 30-foot enclosure was erected deep inside the forest by the Chandrapur forest division as an experimental measure to bait the elusive big cat. Tracked for three weeks, T-122 repeatedly evaded capture despite four attempts to tranquilise it in the open forest with bait. Its capture in a specially designed enclosure marks Chandrapur’s first successful trapping in 25 years that brought relief to villagers living in the shadow of fear.
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After the animal was trapped in the enclosure, the rapid response unit of the Chandrapur forest division tranquilised it and shifted it to a safe location for physical examination, officials said. The capture marks the first successful trapping of a tiger in a specially designed cage — a big breakthrough in forest operations that often failed through conventional capture methods. Unlike conventional baited trap cages, the structure was designed to minimise human presence and blend into the surroundings, preventing the big cat from sensing danger and avoiding the trap. The operation was supervised by DFO, Chandrapur forest division, Ranjan Talmale. Notably, the enclosure structure can be dismantled and transported to other locations for similar operations, potentially providing an alternative method for capture in conflict-prone areas. Download the TOI App.