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Rehmankheda: Tiger spotted near carcass, but evades capture
After two weeks of tracking, forest staff nearly encountered a tiger in Rehmankheda, but it escaped. The search continues with surveillance and tranquilizers.
For the first time in over two weeks of the chase for a tiger, forest staff almost came face-to-face with the wild animal in Rehmankheda on the city outskirts on Sunday. The tiger, however, managed to escape.
“The tiger came back for the carcass of a cattle it had killed a day before. Our team was watching the spot round-the-clock. The tiger could sense human presence but was careful enough not to catch attention,” said Sitanshu Pandey, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Awadh Range.
The tiger’s movement was spotted around 4 am. It remained crouched for a long time in an attempt to eat the carcass. The team waited for the tiger to rise to its feet, which is the minimum requirement to fire a dart shot, the official said, adding that the tiger never raised its head.
“The entire episode tells us that our strategy is working. We will wait for another day before burying the carcass. We will continue with our strategy,” said Pandey.
Apart from camera traps, CCTV cameras have been installed to get live feed of areas where the tiger’s movements are expected.
The chase for the tiger in Rehmankheda is on since December 14. The entire area has been declared ‘no-go’ pocket for locals.
“With two watch towers and teams equipped with tranquiliser guns, we are keeping a close watch on the tiger’s movement with the help of its pugmarks and reported sightings,” noted Pandey.
The department’s strategy is to allow the tiger to either return or trap it in a cage. Also, bait have been strategically placed in open with teams with tranquiliser guns deployed nearby.
The tiger has stayed put in and around Rehmankheda village, which is about 20 kilometres away from Lucknow. At first, locals reported seeing a tiger and its pugmarks in the area. The tiger was also caught by a trap camera placed near Central Institute for Sub-tropical Horticulture.
Apart from forest staff, experts from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and from zoos in Lucknow and Kanpur are part of the rescue operation. The forest department has also asked villagers to avoid going out alone or leaving home at night, even in groups.
