GUWAHATI: A tiger has somehow managed to reach Umananda Island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati. Tourists, shopkeepers and other people on the island are now waiting for help.
According to reports, a construction worker spotted a tiger on the island on the morning of Tuesday, December 20. It is now hiding in the crevices of rocks of the northern side of the island.
Ferry services were stopped immediately to the island to prevent any untoward incident. The forest department has not arrived at the location, but the people have been told to not go towards the northern side.
Speculations are that the tiger was washed off from somewhere on the north bank of the river and somehow managed to reach the island.
The Umananda or Peacock island is a very small island in the middle of the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati city. It houses the Umananda Temple which gets a good number of visitors every day. The island also has several shops to serve the needs of the tourists. The people were later evacuated by police and the Inland Waterways Department of the state.
It was initially believed to be a leopard based on the comments of the people present on the island as it managed to get into one of the many crevices. It was only when the officials of the forest department arrived that it was confirmed to be a Royal Bengal Tiger trapped in the island.
A huge number of people including experts from the forest department, veterinary experts and police are working towards rescuing the animal. As the animal has entered a very small place near the water level of the river, experts are finding it difficult to safely evacuate the tiger from the location.
Members of the SDRF are also coordinating the rescue efforts with the forest department using speedboats and tranquilisers.
The tiger was tranquilised and rescued from the island after nightfall. It was then taken for medical examination by the competent authorities.
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