Chanda MP demands gunning down of problem tiger ‘RT-1’ in Rajura

The Congress Member of Parliament Suresh Dhanorkar from Chandrapur has asked forest officials in the region to shoot dead a tiger that is believed to have killed eight persons and around 25 cattle since January last year as efforts to capture it by special teams have been futile.

In a press statement on Saturday evening, Dhanorkar said the people of over a dozen villages in Rajura tehsil, part of Central Chanda forest division, were terrified and it was affecting agricultural work which is the mainstay here.

He demanded that the tiger be shot dead to save farmers of the region.

Dhanorkar said he had held meetings with chief conservator of forest of Chandrapur territorial circle N R Praveen and spoken over phone with forest minister Sanjay Rathod about the troublesome tiger, officially called RT-1.

Forest department officials said teams, with over 150 personnel armed with camera traps and other equipment, had been formed in Wirur, Rajura and Kothari ranges under Central Chanda division deputy conservator of forest Arvind Mundhe to capture the big cat but they had not tasted success as yet.

Additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife east) B S Hooda from Nagpur had visited Rajura tehsil recently and directed staff here to capture the tiger as soon as possible, they added.

As per forest department data, the tiger killed one person in Khambada on January 18 last year, then another on November 25 and December 25 the same year, followed by kills on January 4, March 6, August 18, September 25 and October in 2020.