Bullet to end stray tiger's journey soon

Bullet to end stray tiger’s journey soon

16 Jan 2009, 0612 hrs IST, Neha Shukla, TNN

LUCKNOW: It is clear now that the stray tiger has lost the fight to
the forest department. No one on the earth can now save the ill-fated
feline who abandoned its moorings in Pilibhit in November last. The
orders to eliminate the tiger soon were reiterated on Thursday night.

The Wildlife Trust of India had asked the forest department for 48-
hour time to trap the tiger on Wednesday. But even before the agency
could act on its deadline, a man was killed and eaten by the feline
in Chaubepur village of Faizabad division on Wednesday night.

“When we asked for the time we did not know that another man will be
killed but now we will abide by the decision of the government,” said
Ashok Kumar, vice-chairman, WTI.

The sources shared that orders to eliminate the tiger as soon as
possible were given to the officials involved in the tracking and
trapping operation in Faizabad. Though none of the officials from
Faizabad or those part of the team could be contacted, there is no
denying that the tiger’s end is imminent. “It could be a matter of
few hours or might be a day”, said sources.

The agencies which were till now criticising the department for
mishandling the operation, have accepted it is well within the right
of the department to shoot down the big cat. But, they should
certainly question the department on its duties. Right to shoot down
the tiger should not have gone without the duty to trap it safely in
the first place.

The two-month long prowl of the young tiger was destined to meet the
fateful end. The department never had the expertise to deal with such
situations. It did not learn a lesson from a similar situation in
Kukrail in the state capital in 1988. The big cat was shot down after
department failed repeatedly to trap it.

It is more than sure the death of two-and-half year old tiger will
also go down the history without making any difference to the
attitude of the department. Tiger conservation is certainly not the
word for Uttar Pradesh.

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