(IN): Uttar Pradesh man-eater tiger falls to Hyderabad expert's bullets

[Guest guest]

*Uttar Pradesh man-eater tiger falls to Hyderabad expert's bullets*

**

 

Lucknow, Feb 24 (IANS) A stray tiger that was on the prowl in Uttar

Pradesh's Faizabad district and its adjoining areas since November last year

and had killed five humans, was shot down Tuesday evening by an expert

shooter from Hyderabad.

Nawab Safahat Ali Khan, a well known man-animal conflict expert from

Hyderabad, did what the Uttar Pradesh forest officials failed to achieve.

 

The barely two-and-a-half-year old feline, that had strayed out of the

forests of Pilibhit sometime in November last year, was shot down around

6.45 p.m. in the forests of Bachuna near Kumarganj in Faizabad district,

about 110 km from here.

 

" We did our best to avoid killing the animal, but eventually we were left

with no choice but to shoot down the tiger, that had already killed five

human beings and was declared man-eater, " Uttar Pradesh chief wildlife

warden B.K. Patnaik told IANS here.

 

He said the operation, which was launched nearly three months back, could

reach its logical conclusion largely on account of the involvement of Nawab

Sahafat Ali Khan, who had been invited to assist the state officials.

 

" Khan is an expert shooter and is known for his skills in containing

man-animal conflict in some south Indian states. That is why we sought his

assistance, which has eventually borne fruit, " said Patnaik.

 

The animal had been giving sleepless nights to state wildlife officials ever

since it wandered out of its natural habitat, and was on the move across at

least five districts including the state capital.

 

Wildlife enthusiast and Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board member Kaushlendra

Singh, who had moved a public suit before the high court to prevent the

killing of the tiger, termed the shooting of the tiger as " highly

unfortunate and illegal " .

 

" The officials of the UP forest department need to be taken to task for the

extremely shabby handling of the stray tiger, which could have been easily

saved. Their manner of dealing with the tiger spoke volumes of the

unprofessional approach of the 100-member operation team that had been

working under the directions of the state chief wildlife warden, " Singh

said.

 

" The fact that the wildlife department chose to go ahead with its mission of

shooting the tiger instead of making serious efforts to trap or tranquilise

it, shows that they have little respect even for the high court and did not

care to wait for its verdict, " he pointed out.

 

 

*Man-eater tiger killed in Uttar Pradesh*

**

 

Lucknow, Feb 24 (IANS) A man-eater tiger that claimed four lives in the last

two months in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad district and its adjoining area was

Tuesday shot down by forest officials.

 

" The tiger that claimed four human lives was killed in the Bakchula forest

in Faizabad late this (Tuesday) evening, " divisional forest officer (DFO)

O.P. Singh told IANS.

 

The feline was killed by an expert shooter, who shot three bullets at the

tiger while it attempted an attack, added Singh.

 

According to forest officials, the big cat killed four humans in Pilibhit,

Barabanki and Faizabad districts.

 

The tiger had strayed out of the forests in Pilibhit district.

 

According to officials, the forests in Pilibhit, over 250 km from Lucknow,

are home to around 35 tigers.

 

-- Indo-Asian News Service

 

 

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui