Maharashtra: Search on for missing Maya

Maya (T-15) at the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur. Pic/Sarosh Lodhi

Wildlife lovers who visit the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) have been concerned as Maya, one of the most famous and photographed wild tigresses in the world, hasn't been spotted for nearly two weeks. Forest department officials and experts believe that she may have delivered cubs in seclusion and more than 100 cameras have been set up to track her down.

The tigress, known as the queen of Tadoba, was often sighted near safari jeeps. Wildlife enthusiast Sanjay Satao said, "The last time forest department officials spotted Maya was on September 25 in the territory where she usually roams. But at the end of the month, the staff spotted another tigress, Chhoti Tara, on Maya's territory."

Maya at the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. Pic/Sarosh Lodhi

"After the monsoon season, when TATR is closed, the sanctuary was opened to tourists on October 1, but none of them have spotted Maya. Forest department officials have installed several camera traps on Maya's territory to track her movement," he added. The exact date of birth of Maya (T-15) is unknown, but people who have been visiting TATR and photographing her say that she must have been born in 2010-2011.

So far, Maya has given birth five times to a total of 15 cubs. However, only a few of them have managed to reach adulthood as they were killed by dominant males who were competing with each other to mate with the tigress.

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The star attraction

Milind Gogte, a wildlife lover, posted on the Tigers of India Facebook page, "Concerns have been raised about the whereabouts of Tadoba's famous tigress Maya (T-12) after tourists reported not seeing her for five days. The last sighting of Maya was on August 23, leading some to speculate that she may have delivered cubs. Wildlife experts believe that Maya may be keeping her cubs safe from other males and making less movement during this season when prey and water are abundant. However, there are calls for a search operation to ensure Maya's safety. Hoping for the best. She is the fighter and the star attraction of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve."

‘Can't say she's missing yet'

Ace wildlife filmmaker Nalla Muthu, who has been documenting the life of Maya, said, "After the monsoon there is a lot of green foliage, making it a bit difficult to spot animals. If you calculate the mating time as she has mated with two males and take into consideration the gestation period, there is a strong possibility that the tigress must have delivered cubs. Tigresses deliver cubs in a very secluded place and they will come out after one or two months. Maya is around 13-14 years old and chances are high that some other dominant females might have entered her territory because of which she might have moved out for the safety of her cubs. So, it's very early to say that she is missing."

He added that the park had just opened for visitors and that tourists had not spotted other tigers too, which does not mean that they are missing. "We should wait for another 10-15 days before arriving at any conclusion. I was told that the department has already deployed more than 100 cameras and I think we should give them some time to study the matter," Muthu said. The core area of TATR is spread across 625 square kilometres while the buffer area spans 1,100 square kilometres.

Sarosh Lodhi, co-founder of the wildlife group CLaW and a conservation photographer, said, "Maya is a favourite of many wildlifers. Her absence is bound to concern people. But she has been away for a very short while. The department should look for her and increase monitoring to locate the star tigress and wildlifers need to be a little patient before hitting the panic button."

Forest dept officials speak

TATR Field Director Dr Jitendra Ramgaokar said, "Following the monsoon, the forest cover has grown, making it a bit difficult to spot tigers. The park opened for tourists on October 1 and so anticipating that a specific tiger or tigress should be spotted in just a few days is something that usually does not happen because it's not a zoo tiger. Only 20 per cent of the entire park area is open for tourism. There is a high chance that the tigress might have moved to some other area or it may have also delivered cubs. It's too early to arrive at any conclusion. Camera traps have been installed in the park to track the movement of tigers. It is wrong to speculate that something might have happened to the tigress. I think we should wait for 20-25 days."

15
Total no of cubs delivered by Maya

625 sq km
Area of TATR's core space