Foresters on Elephants in India are on the hunt for a killer Tiger, believed responsible for killing four people in twelve days.  Even though the species is endangered, the rangers have their orders to shoot and kill it on sight to protect human lives.

“I declared it a man-eater today,” said Rupak De, Uttar Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden.  “Since December 26, it has killed five residents.  It has been attacking only humans.  Conservation of wildlife being people-dependent, we cannot allow more losses of human lives.  We are now in search of sharpshooters who can kill the tigress.”

The shoot to kill order came after the death of the latest victim, a 35-year-old woman who was nearly devoured this week.  A 40-year-old man was killed last weekend.  It triggered protests that led to a five-hour blockade of a key highway that connects Moradabad and Haridwar.

The decision to kill this female Bengal comes at a time when there are only a little more than 1,700 Tigers left in India, down from 40,000 in 1947 when India gained its independence from England.  Some conservationists criticized the decision to label a tiger a man-eater as an attempt to placate fearful villagers and an attentive media.

One month ago, a tiger that was suspected to have killed three forest dwellers in Karnataka, was trapped and tranquillized.