CRITICISING the Uttar Pradesh administration’s announcement of a cash reward for anyone killing the tiger that is on the prowl near Lucknow, the Centre has stepped in to stop its killing.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asked the state not to kill the tiger, which it has declared a maneater. It has also directed a Wildlife Institute of India team to try and catch the young male tiger.

“There are specific guidelines under the NTCA on a ‘man-killer’ and a ‘maneater’. A tiger can only be called a maneater if it regularly kills people out of habit. It is too early to say that this tiger is a maneater,” said NTCA Member Secretary Rajesh Gopal.

“Though there is no rule against the declaration of a monetary reward for killing a declared maneater, the killing has to be handled by the Forest Department. It is regrettable that such a cash reward was announced,” he added.

The NTCA guidelines also specify that a ‘man-killer’ can only be tranquilised and caught.

The Forest Department has been on the trail of this tiger for a month, during the course of which it has covered 200 km from Pilibhit to Lucknow. After a half-eaten body of a boy was discovered on Tuesday, it was declared a maneater by the state. Following this, the District Magistrate announced a Rs 5,000 award to anyone who could kill the tiger.

The NTCA has also slammed the UP Forest Department for the manner in which it is trying to catch the tiger, with crowds of people in tow, including the media. In a December 19 letter to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttar Pradesh, it said “there are disturbing visuals of a large number of people in the area where the field operation of trapping the tiger is going on. This is a cause of great concern.”

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