Sivasagar (Assam): An adult male tiger whose attack led to the death of two persons in Sivasagar district in the northeast Indian state of Assam, was tranquilised and captured on Monday by the Forest Department assisted by International Fund for Animal Welfare – Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI).

The tiger is currently being kept at the IFAW-WTI run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga National Park.

“We are perplexed at this incident. Leopards are found in the Reserve Forests here, but there have been only unconfirmed reports of a tiger from this area,” said Utpal Bora, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Sivasagar, who led the operation.

“It is not a man-eater,” Bora clarified.

“The authorities have decided to release the animal. According to the latest information, following discussions with a number of experts, a decision has been taken to release the animal in Manas,” said Dr NVK Ashraf, Director, Wild Rescue programme, WTI.

The tiger had reportedly killed a 12-year-old girl near Geleki, Sivasagar. A woman and a man were also attacked subsequently. The woman succumbed to her injuries, while the man’s condition is said to be stable.

The tiger was initially mis-identified as a leopard by locals who informed that the animal had strayed into a house in Athkhel Tea Estate near Geleki.

“When we reached the site, we were shocked to find a tiger. We were told that it was a leopard, and we obviously did not expect it to be a tiger,” said Dr Prasanta Boro, IFAW-WTI veterinarian, who accompanied the Forest Department officials.

While an excited crowd was controlled by the civil administration personnel, the tiger – hiding in a small storage room – was darted with sedatives by forester Prabhat Hazarika. An additional dose was administered by Dr Boro using a makeshift pole syringe.

The tiger was transferred to CWRC following its capture, and is now being looked after by the IFAW-WTI veterinarians and animal keepers.

“It is healthy, but has some minor lacerations. Understandably, it is quite aggressive,” added Dr Boro.