The Hindu : Other States / Uttaranchal News : Tiger terror near Corbett Park

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Thursday, Apr 22, 2004

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Other States - Uttaranchal

Tiger terror near Corbett Park

DEHRA DUN, APRIL 21. Recent killings by a man-eater tiger have triggered panic among the people living on the outskirts of the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal.

So far, the tiger has killed two persons, and mauled several buffaloes and goats.

Residents are worried that the man-eater might claim still more lives if the authorities do not take immediate steps to curb the menace. ``We have young children and they play out here, we are very scared to live out here near the jungles. Either the government provides us with some alternative or kill the tiger who is mauling our people,'' said Revati Devi, resident of a village in the vicinity of the Jim Corbett park. Forest officials said that besides declaring the tiger ``man-eater'', steps were on to catch the tiger.

``We have declared the tiger as man-eater. We would not have done so had it not eaten the person. Our effort is that it should not target more villagers, so we will try to catch him first and if there is no alternative left then we will kill the tiger. Our forest officers have been deployed for the task,'' said S.S. Rasaily, Deputy Forest Officer of the Jim Corbett National Park.

The Corbett National Park, which was established on August 8, 1936, is spread over an area of 1,319 square kilometres and houses 137 tigers. India, with nearly 3,500 tigers, has the world's largest tiger population. The Sunderbans ecosystem, divided between India and Bangladesh, is home to the largest.

ANI

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Tiger terror near Corbett Park