The tigress that had killed two men and injured another in a village in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district was captured on Tuesday after a five-hour operation involving trained Kumki elephants, forest officials said.

The feline, which bore injuries on her body, was tranquillized by forest department personnel while maintaining precautions and rescued at around 10 am, the state's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation) Sudhir Kumar Agrawal told PTI.

Kumki elephants are trained to capture and tame wild elephants.

On Monday, two villagers were killed and another injured after they were attacked by the tigress near Kalamanjan village in Odgi development block, leading to protests by locals demanding immediate capture of the big cat.

A team of forest personnel, including veterinarians, launched a rescue operation early Tuesday morning while complying with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Agrawal said, adding that Kumki elephants were also roped in the task.

“The female tiger, aged around 6 years, was later rescued and kept in a big cage. Veterinarians administered preliminary treatment to the animal as it has injuries on its forehead. The tigress will be shifted to Jungle Safari zoo in the state capital Raipur," he added.

According to forest officials, the tigress sustained injuries on her forehead after one of the three villagers attacked her with an axe while trying to save himself on Monday.

“Prima facie, the tigress reached the area (Odgi development block) from Guru Ghasidas national park in the neighbouring Koriya district”, they added.

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