Shifted to Bannerghatta Rehabilitation Centre 

Mysuru: Forest Department staff on Saturday night have captured a tigress and her five cubs, which were being spotted frequently at Mullur, Bennegere villages and surrounding places in Saragur taluk and have shifted the animals to Bannerghatta Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Bengaluru. 

On Saturday at about 8.30 pm, the Forest staff, who observed the movements of the tigress and her cubs using a thermal drone, confirmed their presence. Later, Veterinarian Dr. Wasim Mirza seated atop elephant Mahendra, fired a dart on the tigress rendering it unconscious. The staff then rescued the tigress and her five cubs. 

While the tigress is aged about 12 years, the cubs are aged between one and two months, it is said. The tigress and the cubs were examined by the veterinarian before being shifted to the rehabilitation centre. 

Experts opined that as the tigress was pregnant, it had come to the forest border region to litter and to keep the cubs away from other predators. As the tigress saw movement of human beings near her hiding place, it attacked them to safeguard her cubs.