H.D. Kote: The Forest Department personnel have been successful in capturing a six-year-old tigress, which was found hiding among bushes in a field near Antharasanthe Forest Zone coming under Nagarahole National Park in the taluk yesterday. This is the second tigress which was captured in two days.

On Monday, the tigress had strayed near Antharasanthe village in search of food which was spotted by the villagers who immediately informed the Forest Department officials.

The Department officials, who began the search operation to capture the tigress yesterday morning, took the help of Dasara elephants Arjuna, the Golden Howdah carrying elephant, Abhimanyu, the expert elephant used to capture rogue elephants and other wild animals and Krishna.

While Arjuna was summoned from Balle Elephant Camp, Abhimanyu and Krishna were summoned from mathigodu Elephant Camp. During the search operation, the tigress was spotted yesterday afternoon and as the Forest Department personnel on elephant back prepared to fire a dart, the tigress escaped into the bushy area.

At about 4 pm, the tigress was again spotted at a paddy field and the Forest personnel fired three darts to tranquillise it. While two darts missed the target, the third one hit the wild cat and after the tigress fell unconscious after a few minutes, the Forest staff using large nets captured the tigress.

As the news of Forest personnel conducting operation to capture the tigress spread, hundreds of people from nearby villages thronged the place with some climbing tall trees and some standing on the Elephant Rescue Vehicle of the Forest Department to have a glimpse of the operation.

The tigress was later shifted to Mysuru Zoo for treatment and observation. This is the second tigress to be sent to the Zoo in two days. The tigress was spotted by the villagers on Monday and the Forest Department staff had placed a cage at the spot where it was seen, to trap the wild cat and had also installed eight cameras. But the tigress did not walk into the trap nor was it trapped by the cameras. Hence three Dasara elephants were summoned and with their help the tigress was captured.

Meanwhile, Naragahole Tiger Reserve Director S. Manikandan, speaking to media persons, said that this is the second tigress to be captured in two days and added that the tigress was healthy. He said that the tigress was kept at Antharasanthe Aranya Bhavan after providing first aid.

ACF Poovaiah, Raghu, RFO Vinay, Rudrappa, Veterinarians Dr. Mujeeb, Dr. Govind, Anup and staff Akram Pasha, Sanjay, Nisar, Gowrishankar and others took part in the operation.