Finally! Man-eater tigress Sundari captured by Odisha forest officials  

Bhubaneswar: After over two weeks of operation, the team of experts today finally tranquilized Royal Bengal tigress Sundari near Majhipada village under Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Angul district.

This was informed by assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Suvendu Behera.

Sources said the experts, including officials from Nandankanan Zoo and Satkosia, shot the tranquilizer at the big cat while riding atop elephant Yashoda, which was brought from Chandaka forest for the purpose.

Further efforts are on to take Sundari into an an enclosure. The Royal Bengal tigress is likely to be taken to Nandankanan Zoo, sources said.

Meanwhile, forest officials have blocked the road near Pampasar to avoid disruption by villagers during the shifting of the tigress.

The tigress was relocated from Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in Angul district on June 28 as part of the State Gan on a pilot inter-state transfer project to increase the big cat population in Odisha.

However, locals are demanding shifting of the tigress from the forest after it allegedly killed an elderly man, Trinath Sahu, on October 21 at Tainsi village under Satkosia forest division.