Jharkhand: Tiger gets trapped in farmer's house, rescued by forest officers

Indian Express

3 days ago

An adult Royal Bengal Tiger on Wednesday got trapped after entering a farmer's house in a village in Jharkhand's Ranchi district, triggering panic in the area, but it was later rescued by forest officers.
The incident took place in Mardu village in Silli block, close to the inter-state border with West Bengal, under the jurisdiction of Muri police outpost, around 65 km from the state capital Ranchi.
'The tiger entered the house of one Purandar Mahto around 5 am when he stepped outside after opening the door of the house,' Ranchi Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Srikant Verma told PTI.
As he saw the animal entering a room of the house, he locked the door from outside, Verma added.
Two girls aged around eight years were also inside the house when the tiger entered but they managed to exit safely, he said.
A rescue team from the Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR) reached the location, and conducted a rescue operation, successfully trapping and caging the animal, the officer said.
'It was tranquilised after being caged. It was loaded on a vehicle and will be taken to Ranchi's Birsa zoo where it will be kept under observation,' he said.
Verma said if the animal was found healthy, it would be released to a safer place, most probably Palamau Tiger Reserve.
'However, the decision on freeing the animal will be taken later,' he said.
A team from Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park, also known as Birsa zoo, in Ranchi's Ormanjhi also went to the spot, a zoo official said.
'A veterinarian, compounder and a biologist were sent to the site to provide their expertise,' Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) at Birsa zoo, Ashok Kumar Singh said.
Birsa zoo veterinarian O P Sahu told PTI, 'The tiger was rescued successfully and its health condition appears to be good. A thorough examination of the animal will be done.' Prohibitory orders were imposed within 200 metres of Mahto's house in a bid to ensure a smooth rescue operation, Verma said.
'We suspect that the tiger has come from adjoining West Bengal. The village is very close to the inter-state border and there is a large forest in Purulia district,' he added.
Mahto, the house owner, said two children, including his daughter, were sleeping inside the room.
'I woke up around 4.30 am and asked my daughter to take the cattle out of the shed. Suddenly, a big animal entered the house. It was roaring and I understood it was a tiger. I safely took another girl, one of my relative's daughters who was sleeping, out of the house and locked the room,' Mahto said.
Mahto added he called one of his relatives and told him about the situation and he informed the officials concerned