CHANDRAPUR: Forest minister SudhirMungantiwar on Monday said that a special investigation team (SIT) will be formed with the help of CBI's wildlife wing for the investigation into the death of four tiger cubs in the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) Pathri range in Saoli tehsil.

Superintendent of police Sandeep Diwan also held an emergency meeting of the tiger cell with forest officers to look into the lapses in the protection of tigers in district. Possibilities of poaching of mother tigress and measures to curb such incidents in future were discussed during the meeting.

Mungantiwar told the media that the department was going to seek the help of CBI's wildlife wing for investigations in the case and added that the SIT will comprise of wildlife experts, police and CBI (wildlife wing) officers. "A request letter to this effect has been sent to the wildlife wing of CBI," he said, stressing that SIT will also look into the possibilities of poaching of the mother tigress.

Meanwhile, intense combing operations have been launched in the area to track the missing mother tigress. While multiple teams have been deployed for the search operation, both territorial wing of forest department and FDCM have installed camera traps in their respective areas to track the missing feline. SP Diwan, who heads the tiger cell, along with APCCF Rambabu took stock of the investigation's progress.

While forest officials directed their subordinates to check with the joint forest management committees (JFMC), police officials were told to inquire with the police patils in the villages for any leads to the case. MSEDCL officers were told to provide the trip record of the supply lines passing through the forests in 10km radius of the spot where the cubs were found, to verify the possibilities of poaching through electrocution. Police and forest patrolling units were told to keep a tab on bus stops and railway stations to check the possibilities of smuggling of tigress parts and skins, in case of poaching, sources informed. APCCF (wildlife) Rambabu accompanied by CCF Sanjay Thakre visited the place where the cubs had died of starvation and exhaustion, after the meeting.

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The team of veterinary doctors who performed the postmorterm of the four tiger cubs concluded that the cubs had died of starvation for prolonged period. The team led by Dr PD Kadukar performed the autopsy at Rambagh nursery in presence of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representative BanduDhotre and principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) representative MukeshBhandakkar in the morning. Veterinary wildlife officer, TATR, Dr RavikantKhobragade and Dr SuchitaDhande assisted in the post mortem. Dr Kadukar said, "Emaciation, dehydration, intense hunger amplified due to severe cold resulted into death of the tiger cubs. The four cubs included three female and a male." Dead bodies of the cubs were later cremated in presence forest officials.