Wandering big cat remains elusive

TNN | Jan 13, 2012, 04.35AM IST LUCKNOW: The tiger, which had strayed from South Kheri, and has come to Rahmankhera, in Lucknow, is still to be spotted by experts from WTI team or the forest officers. But, the clear imprints of pugmarks have confirmed the presence of the big cat in the area. On Wednesday morning, a forest guard at the place had heard the tiger growling. "Since tiger is a territorial animal, it growls habitually," said Rahul Shukla, former honorary wildlife warden, Dudhwa, who is helping the forest department in tiger tracking operation. The carcass of a blue bull which was found at Rahmankhera pointed out that it could be the first prey of the tiger. No new kill has been spotted. The big cat, however, has eaten away the blue bull completely. It's only that the hooves and the bones have been left at the place. It was on January 1 that the presence of the tiger was first noticed in Hardoi. On Sunday, pugmarks were seen in Kakori. The experts are trying to localise the tiger so that it does not stray further. The big cat is said to have taken a long route. It could have transgressed from South Kheri, moved through Gola, Hardoi, backfields of Sandila, Kakori to it's present location in Rahmankhera. It's present location is a semi-habited area. Besides, it has lot of tiger's natural prey, blue bulls, present. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Wandering-big-cat-remains-elusive/articleshow/11469434.cms