‘Operation Stripes’ put on hold as starving Explorer stranded in a stone quarry

The Andhra Pradesh State Wildlife Department temporarily halted the search for 3.5-year-old male tiger Explorer on Sunday, due to difficulties in accessing potential locations where the big cat is stranded. This decision came two days after the government resumed Operation Stripes, a wildlife conservation and rescue initiative aimed at relocating the tiger from Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

As of Sunday evening, Explorer was found in a mango orchard, surrounded by stone-crushing units and artificial ponds near the Dhecherla stone quarry in East Godavari district. Continuing its journey from the original location, Explorer had barely walked two kilometers on Saturday night before becoming stranded, indicating a significant depletion of its energy reserves due to the absence of prey for over four days.

The native of Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserve in Maharashtra, Explorer was tranquilized at Kurmapuram village on February 6 and subsequently moved to Papikonda National Park on February 14. During the past week, the tiger covered more than 10 kilometers nightly, traversing through various landscapes and human settlements. However, due to terrain challenges, personnel involved in the tranquilization and rescue operation are unable to approach Explorer's current location.

East Godavari District Forest Officer B. Prabhakara Rao stated that the involved personnel are awaiting suitable conditions to ensure the safety of both the tiger and the local community. In the meantime, revenue and police authorities have instructed stone crushing units and quarry operators to halt their activities until further notice, while also restricting vehicle movement in the vicinity.