Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Apr 23 (PTI) Forest department officials in South Kheri succeeded in capturing a tigress that had terrorised residents in and around Muda Javahar village after it attacked a person on April 12, following an attack that injured a villager, officials said.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sanjay Biswal said on Wednesday that officials also captured a nine-month-old female cub of the tigress using a net. However, another male cub managed to evade capture, and patrolling teams are currently combing the area to locate and reunite it with its mother.

Both the tigress and the cub were brought to the range headquarters and found to be healthy, he said.

The operation to capture the tigress was initiated after permission was granted by the UP Chief Wildlife Warden on April 19.

Forest teams, along with veterinary experts Daya Shankar from Dudhwa National Park and Deepak from Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, had been actively searching the area, utilising two elephants from Dudhwa to aid in the combing process.

DFO Biswal said, “The elusive tigress was finally traced in a field on Wednesday, and veterinary experts promptly tranquilised her. One of her two cubs was also successfully captured in a net.” Further decisions regarding the release of the big cat would be made based on directions from higher authorities, he added. PTI COR CDN RT RT