Tiger captured in Dudhwa to be released into the forest

The forest department intensified combing operations to capture the tigress that is still on the prowl. Locals said this big cat, along with the tiger, had killed around 23 people in the villages of Lakhimpur Kheri over the past few months

LUCKNOW The man-eater tiger captured by foresters in Manjhra Purab area of Dudhwa buffer zone late on Monday night will be relocated deep into the jungle, away from human population, said officials on Wednesday.

The tiger is kept under observation as per norms. It will be released into the wild after a medical check-up. (Sourced)

The forest department also intensified combing operations to capture the tigress that is still on the prowl. Locals said this big cat, along with the tiger, had killed around 23 people in the villages of Lakhimpur Kheri over the past few months.

“The tiger we captured has been kept under observation as per the norms. The cage has been covered in order to calm down the tiger that appears in extremely good health. It is under observation for almost 24 hours and would be relocated after a medical check-up,” said Sanjay Pathak, field director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

Pathak said the captured tiger appears to be around six to seven years old. “Initially, there was a little confusion regarding the gender of the two big cats but it was cleared later after our team managed to catch one of them.

It is yet to be decided where the tiger will be relocated. But it will be relocated far from human population, deep inside the jungle,” he added.

Initially, there were speculations that the captured big cat would be lodged in Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, Lucknow. However, authorities at the zoo made it clear that they are short of space and already have 12 tigers, including a pair of white tigers, to feed. Bringing in an extra tiger would cause burden on the zoo, they added.

“As of now our focus is on the tigress and to ensure that no more casualties take place. We have deployed four patrolling teams, drone teams, cameras, four elephants along with combing teams and have installed two cages with baits to catch the tigress,” he added.

Pathak also advised villagers to visit their fields in groups so as to keep the big cat away. He urged villagers to cooperate with the forest department and not venture out towards agricultural fields.