TIGER CAUGHT, ALBEIT ON CAM
LUCKNOW: The forest department on Saturday got the first glimpse of the elusive tiger, wh ic h has been roaming around the state capital since October 15.
The officials got a CCTV footage from Sisauli block on Unnao-Kanpur border in which the tiger is seen roaming. The picture was taken on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, which soon led to combing operations in the morning.
“We have launched a hunt for the tiger and have brought in elephants, keeping its location in view as per the video footage,” said principal chief conservator of forest, Uttar Pradesh Rupak Dey.
Teams with tranquillisers have also been sent to the area along with the elephants. “We were waiting for concrete evidence of the animal, before going ahead with elephants and tranquillisers,” said Dey.
Since the tiger has been travelling in three different districts - Lucknow, Unnao and Kanpur, forest officials of all three districts are making a coordinated effort to catch the big cat and leave it in its natural habitat, the forest.
Interestingly, t he f eline has been travelling continuously ever since it came out of its habitat, supposedly in Lakhimpur forest area. Reports of pugmarks came from three different locations on Lucknow-Sitapur border but there was nothing more. Also twice it was reported that the tiger had killed blue bulls but the animal was never seen.
Separate teams of Wildlife Trust of India are also mov-
WE HAVE LAUNCHED A HUNT FOR THE TIGER AND HAVE BROUGHT IN ELEPHANTS, KEEPING ITS LOCATION IN VIEW AS PER THE VIDEO FOOTAGE RUPAK DEY, principal chief conservator of forest, UP
ing with the forest department teams.
“Finally we have seen the animal and are chasing it, but as it has been reported that it traverses several kilometres every day, the task of hitting it with a tranquilliser gun may be a difficult task,” said a forest officer involved in the chase.