Maneaters must be put down, not put away in crowded zoos
It is neither economically feasible nor biologically necessary to rehabilitate every maneater in overburdened zoos. The latest example was the uproar against the shoot-at-sight order issued last week after a tiger killed three people between 27 November and 4 December at the edge of the Bandipur tiger reserve in Karnataka. Even when repeated attacks on and consumption of humans leave no doubt about a big cat’s motive, and officials take ample care to zero in on the particular animal, live-capture allows us to examine the physical state of the maneater before deciding its future. Usually, the animal turns out to be a young adult or an old tiger past its prime, edged out by stronger competition and incapable of hunting its natural prey. Anyway, the majority of maneaters, like the Bandipore tiger captured last week, are old, injured animals with broken canines and blunted claws.
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