Continuing on its unstoppable journey, a radio-collared tiger – TWLS-T1-C1 – has already covered a distance of more than 1,700 km in the last 7 months, reports The Indian Express.
According to Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) Field Director Ravikiran Govekar, the tiger had already traveled 1,500 km towards Ajanta Hills before returning to Dnyanganga last week.
Claiming it was the first tiger to inhabit Dnyanganga this Friday, the officials were baffled by the animal’s extraordinary nomadic instincts.
Tiger needs food, shelter and mate. He had often lodged himself in forest areas but didn’t remain there beyond 4-5 days. Along the way, he has also killed wild preys as well as cattle. In some of the areas that he had moved, like Dnyanganga, there were good hideouts as well as food. So, we thought this epic journey could be for a mate. But is that the real intent? We don’t know yet.
Sector Wildlife Institute of India scientist Bilal Habib, who is tracking the tiger’s movements via a radio-collar, said:
He is most likely searching for a female. It is likely there might have been some females in areas he has so far moved but those territories could already have been occupied by some dominant males. So, it is perhaps finding it difficult to get territory and mate both at one go.
The scientists have claimed that the tiger might move ahead towards the Melghat Forest Reserve where it is expected to find a partner for mating along with food and shelter.
