By Siraj Khan
Nepalgunj, Jan. 13: A technical team from the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) that came from Sauraha identified the possible hiding places of the Bengal tigers in Raptisonari, Banke district.
A team of senior technicians from the NTNC Amir Sadaula and Tirtha Lama, who were deployed in the forest area of Raptisonari to search for the man-eater, found fresh footprints of the tigers in Fattepur forest, just 5km away from the human settlement, said Ganesh Khadka, Assistant Forest Officer and Information Officer at the Division Forest Office in Banke.
He said the team was focusing on the area after finding the footprints.

According to Khadka, the control team includes the Division Forest Office, Banke National Park, local people's representatives, Forest and Environment Protection Coordinating Committee Kamdi, community groups, police and Nepali Army.

After finding the fresh footsteps, they took a buffalo calf as food to a possible place and left it in the forest, but the tigers did not eat it last night.
Khadka said the technical team would stay in the forest on Wednesday night by placing two calves in two places.

The technical team has made a plan to control the tigers by darting when they come to eat the calves. Preparations have also been completed to put the tigers in a 'wildlife ambulance' as soon as they are taken under control. The ambulance has been kept ready at Fattepur.

Meanwhile, Chandani Tharu, 29, of Fattepur, Raptisonari-6, and Lila Bisht, 53, of Raptisonari-4, Parsona, were killed in tiger attacks on Saturday alone.
A camp has been set up at the Sub-Divisional Forest Office at Mahemanpur in Fattepur to take the tiger(s) under control.
Banke National Park has also deployed staff and security personnel along with two elephants.