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Lucknow’s periphery ‘part’ of a tiger corridor
Lucknow's urban sprawl attracts tigers from 250 km away, linked by a corridor; sightings raise concern as human encroachment increases.
In the backdrop of an urban landscape and historical monuments, Lucknow also hosts some wild guests that come from as far as 250 kilometres away.
What makes Lucknow, with over 45 lakh human dwellers, fascinating for tigers is simple to understand. The city is connected to a tiger corridor that originates from Lakhimpur Kheri and passes through Shahjahanpur and Hardoi before reaching Lucknow along the Sharda Canal.
“Tigers, while on the move, stay longer at places with good prey base and habitat and Lucknow has several such pockets, such as Rehmankheda. The killing of a blue bull (nilgai) a day before, is an example why a tiger, if it at all is, may want to stay longer,” said a senior forest officer, who has worked in the tiger and leopard corridors around Lucknow.
As the city’s expanding human habitat has encroached the surrounding forests, wandering tigers become news. The big cats, however, visited the area in the past too, with the latest sighting being in 2022.
The presence of a tiger in Rehmankheda was yet to be confirmed, but a tiger in Rehmankheda isn’t new. In 2012, a male tiger had stayed in the area on the outskirts of Lucknow for 108 days.
The last tiger seen around Lucknow was in 2022. The animal was approaching the state capital via Hardoi and was at the border when it went back. Forest teams were deployed, and increased activity and controlled fire in the area made the wild cat take the route back.
While tigers have just one route towards Lucknow, leopards, on the other hand, have several, including Unnao-Malesemau, Dubagga via River Gomti, and around Scooter India. Camera traps have recorded leopards at an average once a week in the year 2021-22.
“We may have adjusted to leopards living around humans in the state capital but a tiger is just not invited,” said the forest officer.
