A file photo of the conflict animal during a capture attempt in September

Capture of conflict tiger ends months-long chase

New Delhi, October 15, 2010: Having evaded baited traps and tranquiliser darts for months, the tiger that caused eight human casualties in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was captured yesterday by a team of Forest Department officials and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). 

The UP Forest Department - WTI team prepares for tranquilisation

The tiger, a male and presumed to be a sub-adult, was tranquilised and relocated to the Lucknow Zoo late last evening by a team of experts led by PP Singh, DFO, Shahjehanpur Forest Division. WTI biologist Milind Pariwakam and veterinarians Mushtaq Ahmed and Sajad Ahmad Qadri assisted the DFO during the capture.

Yesterday’s operation began in the afternoon, as the tiger stayed hidden in an isolated patch of Prosopis juliflora vegetation in Nagla Hira Singh village, Farrukhabad Forest Division. It was darted thrice, even as a huge crowd gathered around the animal’s refuge, pelting it with stones. Several people were injured and one was severely mauled. 

“We identified the tiger as the one that we were tracking by comparing its stripe pattern to photographs taken in previous capture attempts and also by comparing its pugmarks with those traced earlier,” confirmed PP Singh.

PP Singh (in blue), DFO, Shahjehanpur Forest Division attempts to pacify an angry mob

Known to have wandered off Pilibhit Forest Division near the Indo-Nepal border, the tiger took its first human victim on May 4. Over the months, it moved south through Pilibhit, Shahjehanpur, South Kheri, Hardoi and Farrukhabad Forest Divisions. Till August 26, it had killed eight people. However, the experts do not consider the tiger an obligate man-eater.

“It is extremely unfortunate that eight people lost their lives. Yet, the tiger was not exclusively attacking humans but was also predating on wild prey like blue bull, spotted deer, wild boar and black buck. Moreover, the human victims were killed within forested areas,” clarified Pariwakam.

During the past few months, the team while attempting capture also carried out awareness drive among local people to minimise conflict with the tiger. Field camps were established in areas where the tiger was sighted to prevent conflicts. Although the animal predominantly remained near populated human settlements, consolidated efforts of the Forest Department ensured no human kills since late August.

The team had to battle challenges like heavy rains and flooding

“The rapid response group comprised three teams working in close coordination. A village-level vigilance team including local people, Forest Department staff and our sociologist Prem Chandra Pandey worked closely with the affected villagers, pacifying them, creating awareness and warning them against venturing out into the forest alone, while the other two teams tracked and attempted to capture the animal,” said Dr Anil Kumar Singh, Head of WTI’s Conflict Mitigation division.  

Darting large carnivores in the wild by tracking and confining is a difficult task, and even more so in human-dominated landscapes, experts say.

A search operation in progress

PP Singh added, “This tiger was becoming increasingly difficult to capture as it was getting more wary with every attempt. Moreover, there were other challenges to counter, like rains washing away evidence of the tiger and assuaging public frustration.”

Crowd control was one of the hurdles

Over the months, the operation saw involvement of a number of experts from the Forest Department as well as NGOs including WWF India. IFAW-WTI veterinarians Bhaskar Choudhury and Abhijit Bhawal, and biologist Siraj Uddin Mazumder, as well as the organisation’s Chief Veterinarian Dr NVK Ashraf were also present during various stages of the operation.

Over the next few days, veterinarian Mushtaq Ahmed will continue post-capture observation on the tiger, its behavior and health.

The tiger after its capture

Photos: Sapna Yadav, Milind Pariwakan (bottom)

Learn more about the Uttar Pradesh Tiger Conservation Project