Fresh strategy for Rehmankheda Op: Identify the tiger, help it towards ‘path of return’
Process for identification of big cat underway; tiger captured on camera, images of shoulder blades to be matched with forest department database
LUCKNOW Which tiger has sauntered into Lucknow and from where? The question assumes significance as success eludes operations to trace the big cat in Rehmankheda for over a month now. The forest department has initiated the process to identify the animal and determine the path it took to enter Lucknow with the help of pictures captured in the camera trap/drone cameras and send it back to its place of origin.

“Sending the tiger back to the forest it came from is our first priority. Once we get to know its place of origin, it will be easier to know the path the tiger took to travel to Lucknow. This will help us plan the animal’s return to its habitat,” said Sitanshu Pandey, divisional forest officer, Awadh Range.
The process of identification is carried out with the help of pictures of the tiger’s shoulders. The shoulder blades, also known as scapulae, are flat, triangular bones located on the sides of the body. The scapulae are morphologically similar on both sides, but the right scapula may have slightly higher morphometric values.
Pictures of these shoulder blades, already captured in cameras, will be matched with the database of tigers with the forest department. The data was prepared during the tiger census in four tiger reserves in the state. Uttar Pradesh has 205 tigers, according to the census in 2022.
“We have started matching the pictures of this tiger with those captured in the cameras in various tiger reserves in the state,” said Pandey. Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has 105 tigers, as per the census.
Forest teams are chasing the elusive tiger since December 14, 2024, with 32 camera traps, seven CCTV cameras, two drones and technical teams from various organisations working to protect tigers in the country. On the ground, forest teams from Lucknow, Barabanki and Bahraich are conducting 24x7 search operations.
Awareness drives were conducted in many villages making locals aware about the tiger and its movement. Villagers were asked not to step out of their house alone and avoid coming out after evening.
“Fresh pugmarks were found on the campus of the Central Institute for Sub-tropical Horticulture, following which camera trap images were scanned in the vicinity, while CCTV cameras were shifted to other locations strategically,” added Pandey.
