Tiger blamed for four deaths in Chimur tracked, tranquillised and moved to Brahmapuri

Farmers in Chimur taluka can breathe easier. A special team of the Forest Department has captured a tiger named 'Trishul', which had spread terror in the area for the past year and a half. The operation was carried out on the night of Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The male tiger is about five years old. The Forest Department said it is linked to the deaths of four people.

Protected forest compartment number 380 is located at Urkudpar in Gadgaon beat, under the Chimur regional forest range. The tiger was darted in this compartment. It is now being kept at the TTC centre in Brahmapuri, where it is under special watch. Further treatment will also be given there.

The tiger had killed four people in the past year and a half. On April 23, 2026, it killed Shankar Masram of Wahangaon. On July 6, Rajendra Bhoyar of Navegaon Punarvasan died in its attack in the Khadsangi buffer area. Then, only a few days ago, on October 30, the tiger, lying in wait in the same forest compartment, attacked Sadashiv Chirkuta, a 50-year-old farmer from Gardapar, who was killed on the spot.

After that incident, anger and fear gripped the Chimur area. The cotton-picking season is under way in the fields, so farmers had to work in constant fear for their lives. The demand to capture the tiger quickly was growing louder.

Keeping in mind public anger and the question of safety, a joint operation was planned under the guidance of Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr Kumarswamy S.R. and Assistant Conservator of Forests Dr Mahesh Gaikwad. It involved Chimur Range Forest Officer Kishor Deorkar, the RRT (Rapid Response Team) of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, and the local police administration. Around night on November 3, the team learnt exactly where the tiger was in compartment number 380 in the Gadgaon area.

Tadoba's wildlife veterinary officer and head of the Rapid Rescue Team, Dr Ravikant S. Khobragade, and the RRT shooter Ajay C. Marathe carried out the task with courage. They darted the tiger with a tranquilliser at 11:40 pm and sedated it. Within minutes, at 12:10 am, the tiger was safely placed on a stretcher. It was given the reversal dose at 12:25 am, and at 12:27 am the tiger was moving fully.

Dr Khobragade, shooter Ajay C. Marathe (RRT, TATR) and Brahmapuri biologist Rakesh Ahuja played key roles in the operation, along with forest and rescue team staff Yogesh Lakde, Dipesh Tembhurne, Wasim Sheikh, Vikas Tajane, Praful Watgure, Amol Korpe, Akshay Dandekar and Gurunanak Dhore. The joint action has brought great relief to people in the Chimur area.