Guwahati, Dec 5 (IANS) A full grown Royal Bengal tigress was shot dead Monday by police commandos at the famous Kaziranga National Park in Assam after the big cat went on a rampage injuring, a security personnel and a video journalist, an official said.
According to a senior park official, the tigress was killed near the national highway adjacent to the 430 sq km Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam when she went berserk after straying into a human settlement area.
‘The tigress strayed out of the park area by crossing the highway and killed a pig in a village. Early this morning, she charged at villagers and police commandos arrived at the scene,’ the official said, requesting anonymity.
The panic stricken tigress, hiding inside a bush, pounced on one of the commandos of the Assam police Quick Rapid Team injuring him, besides attacking a video journalist who arrived there to capture the rampage.
‘The rifle of the injured commando fell on the ground and then a few other commandoes fired at the tigress killing her on the spot,’ the official said.
At least 10 rounds were fired before the big cat was felled.
An enquiry has since been ordered to probe the killing of the tigress.
The Quick Rapid Team is deployed at the park to counter organized poacher gangs involved in slaughtering the one-horned rhinoceros for their horns.
