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Rehmankheda: It’s tech-armed 100 men vs 300-kg tiger in the wilderness

By, Lucknow
Jan 13, 2025 08:56 PM IST

Till now, the foresters’ calculations have been accurate and the tiger has come to eat the bait several times. Success is not far, they say

At 4 am when air is at its nippiest, there’s a stillness that wraps around Dr Nitin Katiyaar, perched atop a 22-foot watchtower in the eerie silence of a Rehmankheda dawn. Trained to tranquilise wild cats, Dr Katiyaar is in the area where a three-and-half-year-old tiger has been giving sleepless nights to locals and to higher-ups in the government machinery 20 km away.

Forest staff with tranquillising gun carrying out search operation in Rehman Kheda, Lucknow, on Monday. (Mushtaq Ali/HT)
Forest staff with tranquillising gun carrying out search operation in Rehman Kheda, Lucknow, on Monday. (Mushtaq Ali/HT)

The 4 am time defines just the start of the day. The tower is in the forest, and with Katiyaar is another forest staff who wait here for next few hours until replaced by another team, doing the same – sit quietly with eyes affixed on the bait tied 100 feet away.

Yet an elusive tiger has managed to evade capture for the last 30 days, killing six animals to feed itself.

A force of 100 men from three districts is chasing the 300-kg tiger, with the help of 32 camera traps and two drones.

The HT team spent a day in Rehmankheda and took stock of what it means to ‘get a tiger out of a forest.’

“We are working to bring the tiger out of the forest. The area it (tiger) is roaming in is forest area, and very dense,” said a senior forest officer engaged in rescue operations.

Geographically, the tiger is roaming in a 10-km area around the Central Institute for Sub-tropical Horticulture (CISH). Forest officers have divided the area into three zones.

Zone One is the area around the CISH which has a high prey base and almost no human settlement. Zone Two is the area around Meethenagar village, falling south to the boundary of the CISH, and Zone Three is to the east, across the Lucknow-New Delhi railway track.

Tigers have a strong natural survival instinct, and best short-term memory which has been reflected in Rehmankheda. Among the animals killed, two were baits kept by forest staff to lure the tiger in a bid to tranquilise it. The smart feline killed the baits and ate them too, which reflects the killing prowess of the wild cat, yet to reach half its average age.

On ground the team comprises divisional forest officer, Awadh Range, Sitanshu Pandey, nodal officer of the operation, Chandan Chaudhary, members of various wildlife organisations and a technical team working on gadgets. While at the headquarters, principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force, Sunil Chaudhary, conducts daily review of the strategy and progress of the operation.

How it is done daily

In all, 45-forest staff comprising tranquilising experts remain on watch tower and ground in rotation. The team takes charge between 7 am and 2.30 pm and is replaced by another team till 10 pm. The third team goes on duty between 10 pm and 7 am. Apart from these teams, there is a command centre made on the institute campus where reserve teams and other experts work the digital equipment.

The day at the command centre begins by scanning the images from the camera traps. “The camera trap helps us figure out if the tiger came and at what time. This helps us map its movement, and in the larger plan, to localise the tiger.

“We have been successful in keeping it away from humans,” said a forest officer camping in Rehmankheda.

The camera trap images are superimposed on digital maps and experts further include it in previous mapping done. This entire mapping process decides which routes will be undertaken for combing and search operations by teams on field and the two elephants.

During the search operations, forest staff look for more pugmarks and as they find them, their location helps make further mapping stronger in terms of understanding the route being taken by the wild cat. This is one part of the various exercises undertaken daily.

“The current strategy is working and we are hopeful of getting results soon,” said principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Anuradha Vemuri.

The biology part

Only biologists can tell what animal the tiger has actually killed and eaten. This is done by examining tiger scat. With the information about a killed animal, it is estimated whether the tiger will look for another prey or stay relaxed for the next one or two days.

The calculation by the biologist also helps in the combing operations. Based upon the kills and the gap between them, baits are placed in cages and in the open field. Till now, calculations have been accurate and the tiger has come to eat the bait several times where it killed two baits.

“It is this calculation that has made us decide that from now bigger bait will be placed. This is to allow the tiger to drag the kill slowly and spend more time eating it,” said the forest officer.

Also, while eating, it will give more time. A tiger can eat up to 20 kg meat. The change of bait will help tranquilising teams, which need the prey in a relaxed position for up to two minutes, to aim and fire the dart. Since the dart is hit on the lower body of the tiger and not front hence aiming the exact and correct place needs time.

The elephant advantage

Two female elephants, Sulochana and Dyna, were brought from Dudhwa National Park. Though elephants are slow in walking but have a significant role in tiger rescue operations.

First, the elephants are made to walk on routes where fresh pugmarks of tiger were spotted. This is one way to corner a tiger as tigers do not wander free in the area where elephants move. Every day the elephants are coming to villages where pugmarks are found.

Secondly, at the time when the dart gun is fired, elephants will be very useful. It will take around 10 minutes before the drug in the dart starts having an effect and makes the tiger immovable. Until then, the tiger might move swiftly and harm anyone but wont move towards the elephant.

Also, if the tiger goes into bushes when the dart is fired, elephants can move inside bushes and check if the tiger was actually under impact of the dart. An elephant can navigate bushes and bumpy pathways which a jeep might not be able to travel.

Also, while hitting a dart from the watchtower has limitations of angle, the team on an elephant has no restrictions.

There are three tranquilising teams where two remain on towers and one on elephant. Dr Daksh from Pilibhit, Dr Nitin Katiyaar from Kanpur, Dr Brijendra from Lucknow are on field and Dr Daya from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is joining soon.

The equipment

Two drone cameras with one having thermal imaging capacity are key as they have spotted tiger movement. Drones cover an area of two kilometres and can fly two hours. The area now has 7 CCTV cameras at five strategic locations with live footage and 32 camera traps.

Scanning CCTV footage and camera trap images has helped decide that the wild cat is in Zone One. This zone has least human interference and hence the chance of tranquilising the tiger is high. Apart from dense forest there are open pockets too in this zone and officials plan to use these pockets.

Make wild cat dependent on bait

The strategy has been kept simple - to make the tiger dependent upon the bait being served to it and make it come again and again to kill and eat the bait. With bait size increased, the possibility of the tiger coming back to eat the half eaten bait is high, presenting the chance to shoot the dart and tranquilise the tiger.

“By localising we mean the tiger remains in Zone One only and comes again and again to a location strategically suitable to shoot the dart correctly,” said the forest officer.

The future strategy includes playing the voice of a tigress and sprinkling the urine of a tigress. Both these things have been arranged but until it is decided to change the strategy, the new tools will not be implemented.

The fear

At least 11 villages in the vicinity are gripped by fear of the tiger. Its presence has made villagers change their lifestyle.

Rajendra Kumar, of Sahlamau village, who was picking dry wood and had brought a goat to feed leaves said, “I can’t spend much time outside. I will pick up some wood to burn and keep myself warm during the night and take the goat back even if she is not fully fed.”

This is not the first time that villagers are under threat from a tiger. Villagers said in two years at least once a tiger strays in this area but leaves without incident. But the case is different now as their animals have been killed and they too are under threat.

What more is required

Deploying more drones and additional field staff is crucial. At last 70 forest staff is on ground and over two-dozen in reserve at command centre but the need is for more staff in the field particularly in villages. Here support from the police force is vital. Cops can help in regular monitoring of people at risk and communicate with them. Cops can play a vital role when the tiger is sighted to control an aggressive crowd which causes disruption in tranquilising work.

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