Over two weeks,three cages,two cameras and several other attempts later,the forest department and wildlife experts have decided to tranquillise the tiger lurking in the forest of Rehmankheda,on the outskirts of Lucknow. The process of darting of the beast will start from Friday. We have decided to tranquillise the tiger. The machan (scaffold) has been prepared and other preparations are also in place, said CP Goel,Chief Conservator of Forest,Lucknow division. He said that the doses of tranquilliser have been divided by the veterinary experts from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Goel added that the job of darting the cat will be undertaken by experts from WTI and Wildlife Institute,Dehradun,as well as Rahul Shukla,a tiger expert and vice chairman of the Tiger Terrain,a local NGO. Shukla was in the team which spotted the tigers first kill on January 9,confirming its presence here. We would prefer the darting to be done during day time since it will become difficult to trace it in the night,especially if it gets lost in the woods. We will need to cage the tiger immediately after darting, Goel explained. Initially,the forest department officials were waiting for the tiger to be caught in one of the three cages put up last week along with goats as bait,before tranquillising it. Two cameras were also installed to catch its movement. However,till now,though the camera has caught its movement,the beast has managed to evade the cage. We wanted it to walk in the cage by itself. But a lot of time has passed,so we will now be tranquillising it as soon as it is spotted, said Goel. The tiger has now gone without food for almost ten days and its restlessness has become palpable. It has started leaving the safety of the sanctuary more frequently,not only during its nocturnal rounds but also during the day,in search of prey, Shukla said. In the outer fields of nearly half a dozen villages around the forest,the pug marks and scat of the beast were found,he said. The tiger,however,till now has not approached human habitats and hasnt fallen prey to the baits. It is a wild animal and by nature,it does not kill animals apart from the wild prey. That is why it is not opting for the baits, he explained. He also added that from now on,one of the experts will keep a watch on the tiger and at the first available opportunity,whether day or night,the beast will be darted. Darting is a fairly easy job,effective at a range of up to 20 metres. The tranquilliser starts affecting within ten minutes and is effective for three to four hours. However,Shukla added ,the trouble will start after darting is completed.
