Elusive man eater tiger giving sleepless nights to forest guards in Bihar's VTR

Sources in the Forest Department sources said that certified shooters from Patna and Hyderabad are also camping in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve to rein in the beast. But they have failed to achieve any breakthrough.

Bagaha (West Champaran): A man-eater tiger has strayed into the human habitation near the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in the West Champaran district of Bihar and constantly changing its location; giving sleepless nights to 150 forest guards involved in the rescue operation of the big cat.

The man-eater after changing its location from Bairiya Kalan village has moved to in the vicinity of a village under Ramnagar Block in the West Champaran district of Bihar. Now, the tiger has taken refuge in a sugarcane field under the Chiutaha forest range of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

Altogether 150 forest guards have been pressed into service to locate the tiger and transfer it to an enclosure. Certified shooters from Patna and Hyderabad are also camping in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve to rein in the beast. But they have failed to achieve any breakthrough. Dodging the forest guards the tiger has changed its location 25 kilometres away from the Bairiya Kalan village.

Read:Tiger kills farmer near Valmiki Nagar Tiger Reserve in Bihar

On Thursday, a trap was laid, but the tiger was successful in taking away the goat in front of the forest officers and guards, Forest Department officials said. On Tuesday also one buffalo and goat were used as bait to catch the beast, but the tiger didn't turn up.

VTR director cum conservator of wildlife, Neshamani K, said, "The tiger has turned man-eater and keeps on changing location after every two to three hours. We are facing some hurdles in catching the tiger because the wild animal has been shifting locations constantly. The elusive tiger is under constant surveillance. We are keeping a vigil on the beast's movement by the tiger's pug mark as well as CCTV camera footage."