How the elusive tiger was caught using elephants and a dog in Karnataka's Bandipur

Bengaluru, Oct 14: An elusive tiger in Karnataka's Bandipur reserve forest, which claimed the lives of two persons, was finally captured and tranquilised on Sunday near Maguvanahalli after five days of intensive search operations.

A contingent of six elephants and a specially-trained German Shepard dog named Rana were used by authorities to locate the tiger at the vast 872 square kilometre reserve.

The forest department also took the help of Soliga tribals, who spotted it hiding in a bush.

Reportedly, the tiger, aged 4 to 6 years, had killed two people and 14 cattle in the last two months. A massive search was on for the animal since October 9 in the 872-km Bandipur forest in the state's Chamarajanagar district. However, the authorities have not officially called it a 'man-eater'.

"When the tiger was hit by a tranquiliser dart by forest guards atop on an elephant based on the Soligas' cues, it managed to escape into another bush. The Soligas proved crucial in spotting it again and hitting it with another darting to immobilise it," state Chief Wildlife Warden Sanjay Mohan, who was supervising operations from outside the forest, told IANS.

"As the tiger lay unconscious after it was tranquilised, the forest guards captured and brought it out in a net with the help of the Soligas," he added.

The tiger will be taken to a rehabilitation centre in Mysuru.