Bihar to review measures to check human-animal conflict near tiger Reserve

The Bihar government is in a quandary on how to avoid frequent human-animal conflict around the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, where 40 of the state's 50 big cats live.

The tiger population of the state jumped by over 50 per cent between 2014 and 2018, from 32 to 50. The 2022 census is yet to be completed but experts believe the numbers will go up significantly.

An official said the forest department has taken adequate and effective measures to check human-animal conflicts in and around the VTR, where a tiger was shot dead days ago after allegedly mauling nine people.

Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, principal secretary of the department, said the tiger had spread terror in the area in West Champaran district and the loss of people's lives was "extremely unfortunate".

"At the same time, there's no point in glorifying the killing of a tiger," he told PTI.

The tiger was shot dead in Bagaha on October 8 by a team of forest personnel who were brought in from Hyderabad and Patna. The order for the kill