Tiger Predation

[Apollo]

Roar sends villagers shivering as tiger makes day-time kill

Loud roar left Sunni Sarai residents shuddering on Monday afternoon. After sometime, they gathered strength to come out of their houses and moved in a group in the direction of the roar. Their search ended at village pond where tiger had killed a blue bull a few minutes earlier. The carcass was still lying there as a proof of elusive tiger's presence in the area.

Petrified villagers immediately informed the forest department and a combing operation was launched with the help of two tuskers in jungles of Munj and Narkul close to Sunni Sarai.

This is tiger's first kill in day hours, ever since it strayed into the region on November 11. The day-time hunting has shocked forest department teams as the feline had killed either in the night or during wee hours. The fear in eyes of villagers was palpable. "We were heading towards a village pond to pluck singhara (water chestnut)... when the roar of a tiger sent shivers down our spine," said Sonu Gautam.

As the big cat roared, the group heading towards the pond ran back to their village and alerted others. After remaining behind closed doors for sometime, they locked their children in their housed and tied cattle in shed before heading towards the pond with lathis in hand.

"The danger is still lurking. The tiger, which was hunting its prey under the cover of darkness has almost challenged us. It will surely return to reclaim its kill," said Nandu Kewat of Katri.

Forest department teams have informed field-level staff about tiger's movement and asked asked villagers to stay at safer places. "We have spotted the area and would fence a stretch of 1.5 kms with nylon net soon," said Dr Utkarsh Shukla, Lucknow zoo's deputy director.

"Our duty is to protect the tiger as well as villagers," said a forest department official, adding that a group of experts along with tuskers had combed the dense shrubs for the entire day but the tiger again managed to disappear into the forest.

Another team of foresters reached Sunni Sarai village to study injuries on the carcass. "The villagers have been asked to remain alert for the next few days and patrolling has been being intensified," said Shukla further.

A big cat had crossed over to Katri from the forests of Fatuwa Ka Nala in Gadhi Silauli on Thursday, the first incident of tiger killing it's prey was reported on the same night in Paharipur village of Katri area. It killed one of Santoshi's calf and dragged it to the other side of the jungle.



 

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