Following the killing of a 30-year youth on Wednesday and the killing of a cow on Thursday, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) authorities tranquilised the big cat at dusk on Thursday.
The youth (identified as Narendra, 30, of Basukpur village in Mailani police limits) was killed on Wednesday morning in a sugarcane field close to Mailani range forests of Dudhwa Buffer Zone (DBZ). Soon after, patrolling teams were deployed to keep close vigil on the movements of the big cat.
Officials were instructed to rescue the big cat on a war footing to prevent any further human-animal conflict in the area.
On Thursday, the big cat was sighted in the area after it killed a cow near human settlements in Mailani range of the DBZ.
DTR field director Lalit Verma said that patrolling teams headed by veterinary expert Dr Daya Shankar of DTR located the big cat, using drones and thermal drones in the area.
He added that after pinpointing its location, Dr Daya Shankar tranquilised the big cat.
{{/usCountry}}He added that after pinpointing its location, Dr Daya Shankar tranquilised the big cat.
{{/usCountry}}Verma said that on preliminary examination, the big cat was found to be a tigress of around five years of age with no apparent injuries on its body including its jaws and paws.
He said that the tigress was being carried to Mailani range headquarters for a thorough medical examination and for further proceedings to decide about the rescued tigress. He confirmed that the tigress was the big cat which had killed the youth on Wednesday and the cow on Thursday.
The killing of Narendra had sparked severe resentment among the villagers, who complained that the movement of big cats had posed a threat to harvesting and managing their crops.
DEO KANT PANDEY