Maneater tiger shot dead in UP

Lucknow, Aug 9 (UNI) After failing to tame a maneater tiger on prowl around the world famous Dudhua National Park, Uttar Pradesh forest department officials today finally shot the beast which lead to its death.

State chief wildlife warden Mohd Ehsan told UNI over telephone from Lakhimpur Kheri -- where the beast was shot -- that since the maneater could not be tamed even after much effort, he ordered the officials to shoot the beast.

For the last 2-3 days, the tiger was roaming in Tandakam village near Kishanpur bird santuary and the forest department sleuths had tried their best to inject transquilisers, but could not succeed.

''To prevent terror among villagers and save precious lives, we had to shoot the beast,'' he said.

Earlier, panic gripped the villages near Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Bird Santuary in Lamhimpur Kheri after the maneater killed four people since May.

The forest department also used three elephants to hunt the tiger in the dense forest.

Earlier, the officials had said the tiger might have been driven out of his lair (hideout) by other herds forcing him to venture into the human settlement and kill humans.

''We want to trap him and send him back to his lair,'' Mr Ehsan had said before launching the hunt for the tiger 10 days back.

Dudhwa National Park is spread on an area of 490 sq km on the Indo-Nepal border.

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