BENGALURU: It will be a tough task to identify the tiger which killed a farmer in Chowdanahalli village of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, on Wednesday. Even if a tiger is captured in one of the five identified spots, it will take at least three weeks to know whether the particular big cat was responsible for the death. Based on DNA samples and the tiger’s unique stripes, the Bandipur authorities are, for the first time, taking step by step measures as per the NTCA protocol to identify the right tiger.
Experts say that DNA match is the best method to identify the right tiger. According to forest officials, three to four tigers have been found straying from Bandipur to these villages. So doctors and veterinary experts have been called in to assist in the identification process.
A veterinary expert told TNIE that unlike the first case in which a man was killed by a tiger in September, where no DNA samples have been collected, in this case body hair has been collected, which will help identify if it was a tiger or some other animal. Further, both DNA profiling and histo-pathology studies can be done with these samples that were collected from the spot and the victim. These samples will be sent for DNA testing, the results of which will take at least three weeks. The tiger’s pad impression too has been taken for studies.
Now, whether this tiger was responsible for the earlier killing too (in September) cannot be established as forest officials failed to collect DNA samples, experts added. Further, 100 more camera traps in addition to the existing 44 ones will be mounted to capture both video and still pictures 24x7. This is to help study both the right and left flank of the animal to identify the tiger. NTCA representative D Rajkumar said, “We need to pinpoint the tiger and capture it by tranquillization but by following the SOP. Good camera trap images and getting the exact path will help in the capture operation.”