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A five-year-old tigress that allegedly killed a woman in Nepal's Kanchanpur district last week was captured and brought to the Central Zoo in Jawalakhel of Lalitpur District as part of a rehabilitation plan, officials said on Sunday.
Zoo authorities now plan to couple up the five-year-old tigress, Maharani (Queen), with another 12-year-old male tiger Maharaja - the King. According to officials, 'Maharani' was captured from the wetlands of Kanchanpur's Belauri Municipality where it had killed a 42-year-old woman. The Suklaphanta and Bardiya National Park authorities mobilizing four elephants along with a team of experts captured the tigress and ferried it back to the Central Zoo. Experts stated that the carnivore could possibly attack humans timely after getting a taste of human blood and leaving them on loose would further endanger human lives. According to the officials, the Maharani will be kept in an isolated cage for Sunday night. Then, the tigress would be kept alongside a compartment with Maharaja. It is expected to take about 15 days for Maharaja and Maharani to couple up. Speaking to ANI, Firulal Tharu, Veterinarian, National Trust for Nature Conservation, who led the operation and captured the tigress said, "The reason behind the increasing number of problematic tigers is the rise in their numbers. When we look at the statistics of Bardiya itself there were only 18 tigers a decade ago but now the number has shot up to 125 which indeed has resulted in shortcomings of prey and control area which is a probable reason for them to reach out to residential areas." The Central Zoo operated under the National Trust for Nature Conservation of the Government of Nepal is the only place to rehabilitate the captured trouble-making tigers. "Currently here at the zoo we have a total of 5 carnivores but we have space to accommodate two tiger couples on display. Out of the 5 big cats housed at the zoo, four are male and one is female. A tiger couple, as well as another male tiger- Maharaj, is currently kept on display for the visitors," Sharad Chandra Adhikary, Member Secretary, National Trust for Nature Conservation, said. Adhikary further said, "One of the reasons for bringing the tigress to the zoo is to keep it in the exhibition as a tiger couple after it develops a bond with any of the tigers. Out of which we aim to couple it up with another male tiger- the Maharaja, if it goes as per our plan then they will come on exhibition for the public very soon." In 2010, Nepal aimed to double the tiger population by 2022 which was achieved a year earlier than the set-out target. However, the loss of habitat is alarming humans. Human activities of entering and disturbing the life chain of tigers, luring them towards the settlements. Back in 2009, Nepal had 121 tigers which in the last census had reached a whopping number of 355. Running a sort of space in the only zoo of the Himalayan nation as well as increasing rift between the animal and humans is turning costlier as no proper plans and policies have been formulated to mitigate the possible effects. (ANI)
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