Farmer killed in tiger attack in Nagpur district of Maharashtra

A farmer was mauled to death reportedly by a tiger when he was out to feed his cattle in Maharashtras Nagpur district an official said on Saturday reported the PTIThe big cat attacked Dashrath Dhote near Kondhasawali village in Parseoni tehsil about 50 km from the district headquarters on Friday evening he saidDhote was on his way to feed his cattle when a tiger grabbed his neck and dragged him for nearly 50 feet Hearing his screams his son and villagers rushed to help but the tiger ran away only after Dhote became motionless the official saidThis is the second death caused by a big cat in Nagpur district this year On January 12 a tiger had killed one Sahdev Suryavanshi of Amgaon in the districtWeimaraner dogs aid capture efforts of wandering tigerThe Maharashtra Forest Department with support from the Punebased RESQ Charitable Trust is making every effort to capture a tiger that travelled from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal to Dharashiv and Solapur districtsPlaying a key role in the operation are two trained Weimaraner dogs Cara and Cody who are assisting authorities by tracking the tigerrsquos movements through their exceptional scent detection abilitiesFor over a month the operation has been underway with a team of veterinary and wildlife experts striving to locate and safely capture the tiger The Wildlife Detection Dogs are proving invaluable as they help track indirect signs such as scat territorial markings and other indicators of the tigerrsquos presence This information allows officials to adopt a more strategic approach in their effortsKiran Rahalkar director of conservation action at RESQ said ldquoTwo of our trained Weimaraner dogs specialised in tracking wild animals in diverse terrains are actively assisting in locating the tiger in Dharashiv While technology and human efforts have limitations in vast landscapes these dogs provide crucial onground intelligence Their ability to detect and confirm signs of the tigerrsquos presence significantly enhances the effectiveness of the operationrdquoExperts highlight that Weimaraners are wellsuited for wildlife detection due to their strong tracking instincts and natural hunting abilities In cases where a tranquilised tiger or other wild animal attempts to flee into dense vegetation before succumbing to the sedative the dogs can swiftly locate and alert handlers to its position ensuring timely interventionwith PTI inputs