CNP holds tiger that killed woman

CHITWAN: The Chitwan National Park (CNP) took control of a tiger which attacked and killed a woman in west Chitwan, on Monday.

According to CNP Chief Conservation Officer Bed Kumar Dhakal, the tiger had attacked and killed Sushila Dumre (25), while she was collecting fodder at the Raptidun Buffer Zone Community Forest in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-25 on Monday.

Officer Dhakal informed that a team of veterinarians led by Dr Kamal Gaire along with eight elephants deputed from the CNP took the big cat under control on Monday evening. The tiger was spotted near the dead body, which it had partly devoured. It was sedated with the dart and taken under control after a daylong effort. The tiger has been kept in confinement at the national park.

The CNP source said that the tiger aged around 10-12 years might have come out of its ring for not being able to hold its own territory. Dr Gaire informed that the big cat was old and had several wounds in its body while its upper jaw had lost a tooth.

CNP Assistant Conservation Officer and Information Officer Nurendra Aryal presumed that some younger tigers might have driven the old and sick one away to the human settlement area. "A tiger turns into man-eater after it cannot hunt anymore due to sickness or old age," Aryal added.

The Royal Bengal tiger, found in the Indian subcontinent including Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, generally, has a lifespan of 15 years.

It has been learnt that the same tiger had attacked an ox in the area two days before.

Meanwhile, a wild cat that was held captive from east Chitwan after series of attacks on human beings has died due to wound infection.

The growing incidents of conflict between humans and the wild beast have posed a serious threat to the country's efforts in conserving the endangered species.