Tiger that killed 10 people deaf from sound of firecrackers, horns

Pilibhit: A male tiger that is believed to have killed 10 persons in the core forest area of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in a year has turned out to be deaf, forest officials said, after it was tranquilised by a rescue team from PTR on Tuesday. Foresters said that the animal was unresponsive to sounds, raising suspicions of hearing impairment likely caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises, such as firecrackers and vehicle horns.
Officials said that the tiger's 14x14 cm-sized pug marks indicate that this particular big cat is responsible for at least 10 killings, the last one near Banskhera village in the Mala forest range on Sept 9.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Manish Singh said the tiger, which appeared to be in good health with no visible injuries, reacted only to visual stimuli and remained unmoved by loud noises during the rescue operation. The tiger has reportedly been involved in a series of attacks in the region over the past two months, leading to the deaths of 10 people.
Veterinary officer Dr Daksh Gangwar, who examined the tiger, confirmed its physical fitness, including its intact canines. The animal's suspected deafness is thought to have been caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises, such as firecrackers used by villagers to scare away wild animals or vehicle horns in the area.
"This is the first time we have captured a tiger with a suspected hearing impairment," said Singh. He added that a report has been submitted to the chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh, Sanjay Shrivastav, for further medical tests, which will likely be conducted in a zoo due to the unavailability of necessary equipment at PTR.
In a separate incident, another male tiger injured a farmer near the Sharda Sagar dam on Sept 9 and has since entered Nagaria Khurd Kalan village. The tiger is currently hiding in dense shrubs near the village, causing panic among residents.
Sub-divisional forest officer (SDFO) Ramesh Chauhan said forest officials are monitoring the tiger's movements and are camping near the village to prevent further incidents. "Our priority is to guide the tiger safely back to the forest, which is about 3-5km from the village," Chauhan said.
Vivekanand Sarkar, the village pradhan, reported that the tiger has been roaming through sugarcane fields, prompting villagers to keep children at home for safety. Sub-divisional magistrate Devendra Kumar Singh said that a team of revenue personnel had joined forest staff to monitor the situation closely, advising residents to stay vigilant and keep elderly and young family members away from areas where the tiger has been spotted.