A tigress on the loose in Bharatpur but no one’s ringing alarm bells

The authorities’s fear is that the big cat, sighted in the bird sanctuary for the first time since 1950 — when the last tiger was gunned down there by Maharaja of Bharatpur and his guests — may venture out of the reserve and pose a threat to people and cattle. An estimated 3,000 tourists throng the sanctuary’s 29 sq km on any given day.

Besides the 3,000 pelicans and several species of European and Far-Eastern birds like the Common Tael and Herons, the pride inhabitants of the bird sanctuary are the two Siberian cranes reported to have landed here last month.

Authorities, however, claim that there’s no reason for alarm. “Birds are too small a prey for a tigress,” says Sharma who claims to be monitoring the tigress’s movements since her first entry in Bharatpur sanctuary from her permanent abode in the Ranthambhor Tiger Reserve.

When asked what plan she had if the tigress moved out, Sharma said: “So far she has not harmed anyone and we don’t suspect her to venture out of her territory. She is getting to hunt deer and wild boars there.”