A watch tower was being set up even as the forest department was preparing to tranquillise the tiger prowling in Rehmankheda since December 14, officials said.
“We plan to tranquillise the tiger as it seems to have localised itself. When it went towards Sitapur, and we thought that it might go back to the forest it came from but this hasn’t happened. Hence, our strategy has changed,” said Sitanshu Pandey, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Awadh Range.
Tranquillising experts will wait at the watch tower during the early hours of the morning in the hope that the tiger comes out of hiding to kill a prey. A day before, a camera trap caught the tiger between 4 am and 5 am in Rehmankheda.
Another team equipped with tranquillising gin will stay put in villages where a tiger sighting was reported.
The forest officer said a team from the Kanpur Zoo had come prepared with nets and other equipment to carry out a rescue operation. The team has been looking for a place where the tiger can be cornered before being rescued. Once the team is able to corner the tiger, and assess its health and general condition, only then a decision on the rescue operation will be taken.
“Tranquilizer will be used once we prepare a final plan for the rescue operation,” said Pandey. Meanwhile, locals have been given firecrackers to scare away the tiger if they spot it.
{{/usCountry}}“Tranquilizer will be used once we prepare a final plan for the rescue operation,” said Pandey. Meanwhile, locals have been given firecrackers to scare away the tiger if they spot it.
{{/usCountry}}Also, teams conducted search operation in Sahilamau, and other villages during the day. Locals were explained dos and don’ts for their safety and advised not to go out of homes during the night. Thermal drones equipped with night vision are being used day and night by staff.