Tiger captured in Bahraich village after spate of wildlife attacks

A young male tiger was captured in Bahraich, relieving villagers after recent wildlife attacks. It's being examined before potential relocation or release.

A tiger was trapped in a cage set up at Amritpur village in the Murtiha forest range of Bahraich, said divisional forest officer (DFO) Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) Suraj Kumar on Saturday. The capture has brought relief to villagers who had been facing a string of wildlife attacks.

For the past three days, panic had spread across several hamlets—including Kakraha, Bejha, Dharampur, and Amritpur—as wildlife attacks continued. (FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY)

The DFO added that the tiger, estimated to be about two and a half years old, was taken to the forest range office for a medical examination.

For the past three days, panic had spread across several hamlets—including Kakraha, Bejha, Dharampur, and Amritpur—as wildlife attacks continued. On Thursday, Bhikhan of Devunpurwa was killed, and on Friday, Harischandra of Puraina Khalla was injured while harvesting sugarcane but was saved by villagers.

Initially, forest officials believed a leopard was responsible for the attacks and ruled out the presence of a tiger. In response to the repeated incidents, they set up two cages, camera traps, and fog lights to track animal movement.

On Friday night, a male tiger entered one of the cages shortly after it was installed. After being notified, forest staff moved the animal to the range office. Officials said the tiger appears young, healthy, and active.

Katarniaghat divisional forest officer (DFO) Suraj Kumar confirmed the development, stating, “A male tiger, about two and a half years old, has been captured in a cage in the Murtiha forest range. Following guidance from senior officials, the tiger will either be released back into the wild or relocated to a safer site.”