UP election: Man-eating tiger an unlikely electoral issue in Pilibhit district

A man-eating tiger is burning bright as an unlikely electoral issue in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district.

The two-year-old female has killed five people and injured an old woman sleeping in the veranda of her home in the Indo-Nepal Terai region since November.

Her latest victim, 52-year-old Nanhe Lal's body was found half-eaten in the wheat fields of Piparia Karam village on Tuesday morning. Following this, she was declared a man-eater.

Residents say they are poorly guarded as all licensed firearms have been deposited with the police ahead of this month's polls. Local bodies have threatened to stay away from voting on February 15 unless the big cat is nabbed.

"It has become a harrowing ordeal for me to campaign in the area", said Dr Shailendra Gangwar, BSP candidate from one of the assembly seats in Pilibhit.

"I am not able to hold any public meetings as everyone including me is scared that the tigress might pounce on us at any time. At public gatherings even if a dog barks, people run for cover," he added.

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Besides, the farmers -mostly affluent Sikhs- have another grouse. "Since our arms and other explosives like Diwali firecrackers have been deposited with the local police, we are totally helpless," said Kartar Singh, employer of Nanhe Lal who died while guarding his fields. According to locals, the tigress, named Mallu after she took her first prey in Mallpur village, has travelled about 15 kilometres since then.

Sources told Mail Today that as per late evening inputs, "Joint field force of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and the social forestry department has succeeded in besieging the killer tigress in a sugarcane field in Chandupur village. Senior forest officials are monitoring the situation. Operation of shooting the big cat with dart may take a few hours."

According to divisional forest officer Kailash Prasad, there are around 40 to 45 tigers in the reserve based on the latest survey. However, the villagers rubbish the claim. "The figures date back to 1- 1 years and since then the cubs have also grown enough to prey. We guess that they may be around 60 to 65," said Ranjo Pradhan, the village head of Piparia Karam.

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The UP government has swung around its entire forest and wildlife machinery to catch the rogue tigress. Three veterinarians from the Lucknow zoo have been called over to help tranquilise the predator.

Four elephants from the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Lakhimpur-Kheri district have also been brought over for search-and-catch operation. State minister Hemraj Verma, who is a resident of Pilibhit district, promised to look into the problem.

Man-animal conflict is on rise in the Terai region, including areas of Pilibhit, Lakhimpur-Kheri and Bahraich districts, mostly due to encroachment and settlements in and around the forest areas. "Through an analysis of her pug marks and nature of kills we realised that she, most likely, has a mouth injury due to which she is not hunting other wild animals or even the cattle around," said Umendra Sharma principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife).

"She lies around the wheat fields in the afternoon and drags out sleeping people from their homes and verandahs at night time. Sleeping people are the easiest kill for a tiger on the prowl. Plus, she ate only the soft parts and not the bones."

Other senior officers said that as per protocol followed after a tiger is declared a "man-eater", the priority would be to nab her. In this event, she will be sent to the Lucknow zoo. If this fails, or she tries to attack forest officers in the process, she can be legally shot dead.

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