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Tiger rescued after 3-day village op in Bahraich; sigh of relief for villagers
The tiger was first spotted three days ago in Rehuwa Mansoor village under Ramgaon police station limits. The animal reportedly hunted a bull in the area, creating fear among villagers.
After three days of intense efforts, the forest department team on Saturday successfully rescued a tiger that had strayed into a populated area in Rehuwa Mansoor village under the Ramgaon police station limits of Mahsi tehsil, bringing relief to panic-stricken villagers.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Bahraich, Sundaresh, said the rescued tiger is a male, approximately five years old. He added that the tiger has been brought to the range office for a medical examination by veterinarians. A decision on shifting the tiger back to its natural habitat or relocating it elsewhere will be taken as per instructions from senior officials, he added.
The tiger was first spotted three days ago in Rehuwa Mansoor village under Ramgaon police station limits. The animal reportedly hunted a bull in the area, creating fear among villagers. Acting on local information, the forest department began monitoring the area using drones.
A team led by DFO Sundaresh, including range officer Mohd Sakib Ansari, veterinarian Dr Deepak Verma from Katarniaghat and veterinarian Dr Dayashankar from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), immediately reached the site.
Two trained elephants, Sulochana and Diana, along with their mahouts Ishtaq and Mehtab, were also brought from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve on Thursday evening to assist in the rescue. Additionally, around 200 forest employees and policemen were engaged for the successful capture of the tiger.
The department then sounded a high alert in several nearby villages including Khushlipurwa, Bhagaipurwa, Pasinpurwa, Kaharanpurwa, Duvepurwa, Akbarpurwa and Rehuwa Mansoor, and appealed to residents to avoid going to the fields, especially alone, until the situation is brought under control.
The operation formally began on Friday morning. The surrounding fields were cordoned off with nets, and a cage and rescue vehicle were deployed. Despite initial attempts to tranquilise the tiger, the animal managed to evade the team and disappear into thick bushes. Poor weather and dense fog forced officials to suspend the operation for the day.
According to range forest officer (RFO) Sakib, the search resumed early Saturday morning under improved weather conditions. Using drones and elephants, the team gradually cornered the tiger in the Azad Nagar area of Mahsi tehsil. At around 4 pm, the forest department successfully tranquilised the animal.
Veterinarian Dr Deepak Verma said, “The successful tranquilisation was possible due to excellent coordination among the team members. The dosage was carefully administered, and the tiger was rescued safely without any harm to people or the animal.” Dr. Dayashankar also termed the operation “a model rescue effort under challenging conditions.”
After the capture, villagers expressed relief, saying they could now move freely without fear.
Notably, Mahsi tehsil witnessed a severe wolf menace last year, during which 10 people, including nine children, were killed and dozens were injured. In the adjoining Kaiserganj area in 2025, 12 people, including 10 children, were killed in wolf attacks, prompting the forest department to eliminate nine wolves.
