[Animals] A man-eating tiger unleashes panic after breaking his iron cage and fleeing: he has been able to kill eight people

[UltimaTexCS]

Ten people in southern Nepal have died from attacks by these animals
The country set the goal of doubling the world's number of these cats by 2022, with a current po[CENSORED]tion of 235 tigers
A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York in a file image A tiger in a zoo in a file image EVANPHOTO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The escape of a tiger, known to attack humans in Nepal, which had been recently caged after weeks of searching, has unleashed panic on Wednesday among residents near a nature reserve, forcing authorities to ask for caution.

Last week, after an intense capture operation, a team of 24 experts from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and military personnel, with the help of three elephants, managed to capture in southern Nepal two tigers accused of killing eight people. One of the cats was taken to Banke National Park.

"On Tuesday, the tiger that had been transferred to Banke Park fled after breaking its iron cage," says the reserve's chief conservation officer, Shyam Shah.

The tiger broke three metal bars of the cage, reveals Shah, who assures that "people who live near the park have been advised to avoid entering the forest and to be careful."

Adult tigers, between the ages of 10 and 13, have been "spreading terror" in recent months in the Bardia National Park, the expert explains. So much so that ten people in this area of the country have died from attacks by these animals, and the authorities suspect that two felines are responsible for at least eight of the deaths.

Among the victims are four women, who often fall into the task of venturing into the forests in search of fodder and firewood. "In the same way, members of marginalized groups have died because they are the ones who live in areas close to forests and depend on their resources," emphasizes the head of conservation.

Dalli Rawat, 62, a resident of the town of Mohanpur, died on March 16 after being attacked by a tiger while searching for edible plants in a wooded area, an event similar to the one that led to the death of Renuka Sunar, 27. years old and a native of Kothiyaghat (southwest), on March 10.

Nepal has a po[CENSORED]tion of 235 wild tigers, according to the last census carried out in 2018, almost double the 121 recorded in the 2009 census. However, the country has set a goal of doubling the world number of these cats by 2022.

Since then, Nepal has worked to improve the habitat of these animals and develop a strategy that includes financial compensation to people attacked by felines, avoiding retaliation.

But according to experts, competition for territory between male tigers sometimes causes some specimens to approach areas inhabited by humans.