Man eating tiger rescued by WTI-IFAW coalition

[Guest guest]

Yesterday, a team of wildlife experts comprising members of the Uttar

Pradesh Forest Department and the Wildlife Trust of India - International

Fund for Animal Welfare (WTI-IFAW) succeeded in capturing one of the stray

tigers in Uttar Pradesh. The tiger was tranquilised from an elephant back by

Dr Anjan Talukdar, programme officer, WTI-IFAW. The sedated tiger was

carried back to the forest camp on the elephant back as the marshy terrain

prevented movement of transport crates to the site of tranquilisation.

 

The tiger had strayed out of Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Dudhwa Tiger

Reserve, nearly two months ago. It was declared a man-eater in late February

after it made its fifth human kill in mid-February.

 

Please find our release pasted below. I have attached a photograph to this

email. We may get more photographs later. Please contact Sheetal Navgire at

sheetal for the photographs..

 

Kishanpur man-eater gets a lease of life

 

Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh), March 3, 2009: The Uttar

Pradesh Forest Department assisted by the Wildlife Trust of India –

International Fund for Animal Welfare (WTI-IFAW) has successfully captured

the tiger that created widespread panic around Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary

near Dhudhwa Tiger Reserve in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,

close to the Indo-Nepal border. In the last two months it had killed five

people and eaten human flesh. It was declared a man-eater in the last week

of February 2009, after it took its fifth victim in mid-February.

 

The tiger, a young male, was tranquilized and restrained alive, last

evening, by a team of UP Forest Department and WTI-IFAW experts on elephant

back. The team had been tracking the animal since 28 February evening. The

sedative drug shot was administered by WTI-IFAW veterinarian Dr Anjan

Talukdar, when the tiger returned as expected, to the remains of its kill

hidden near Maharajnagar village, South Lakhimpur Kheri Forest Division,

near Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

Dr. Anjan Talukdar, experienced in tranquilizing wild animals, reached the

site in early February, to assist the operation. Following an analysis of

the field conditions in Kishanpur, Dr. Talukdar had expressed optimism at

the possibility of successful tranquilization. Despite the challenges faced

this has now been achieved.

 

The sedated tiger had to be transported out of the tranquilization site on

elephant back, supervised by Dr.Talukdar, Dr Anil Kumar Singh and forest

department officials, as the marshy grassland terrain prevented movement of

transport crates. In the forest camp, the sedation was reverted after the

tiger was safely confined in a cage. The tiger is estimated to be 3 years

old and apart from a minor injury probably sustained in a predation attempt,

it has been found to be in good health.

 

The success of this operation has been a victory for the Forest Department

and the WTI-IFAW teams that have been on location both in Faizabad and

Kishanpur in Uttar Pradesh for several weeks to assist the Forest Department

in capturing the tigers alive. Team members have spent weeks on location

tracking the tigers in adverse and volatile conditions, with understandably

hostile villagers.

 

The Kishanpur incident comes less than a week after the other tiger,

declared a man-eater, was shot dead in Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Although several capture attempts were made in Faizabad too, the thick

undergrowth among other ground conditions made live capture difficult.

 

“This (live capture) is a great conservation victory and morale booster for

all of us who have spent months trying to save these tigers that strayed out

into human settlements in Uttar Pradesh. Our WTI-IFAW team members including

Dr Anil K Singh, Dr Samir K Sinha, Dr NVK Ashraf, Dr Anjan Talukdar, Dr

Prasanta Boro, Dinesh Pandey and Sheren Shrestha, assisted in the live

capture attempts of the Forest Department in Faizabad as well as Kishanpur.

We at WTI-IFAW are relieved that this tiger was saved from being shot; but

the frequency of straying tigers in conflict with humans is a concern we all

need to think about and deal with” said Ashok Kumar, Vice-chairman, WTI.

“Collaboration between Government and NGOs is important for conservation and

we have been ably assisted by WTI-IFAW in this. We have to formulate a Man

Tiger Conflict Resolution project and work towards reducing conflict,” said

State CWLW B K Patnaik. On the future of displaced tigers Mr. Patnaik said

“Man-eaters would need to be observed in quarantine and any possible

relocation of tigers has to be done under IUCN guideline protocols.”

Regards.

 

 

 

 

 

--

Sheren Shrestha,

Assistant Programme Officer,

Wildife Trust of India,

B-13, Second Floor,

Sector-6, Noida-201301.

Ph No- (0120) 4143911/4143900

Mobile- 09990930530