The Bihar environment and forest department on Friday officially declared the marauding tiger of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in West Champaran district a “man-eater” and ordered its elimination after it struck again and killed a person.

The big cat attacked and killed 35-year-old Sanjay Mahto of Dumri village when he went to the agriculture fields to relieve himself. A day ago, it had killed a 12-year-old girl.The big cat has so far killed eight people, injured several others and hunted many cattle heads in villages located around the VTR.

“We have declared the tiger a man-eater and issued orders to kill it. We have also written to the director-general of police to provide shooters to us. Our officials will assist each shooter in the operation,” Bihar additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Prabhat Kumar Gupta told The Telegraph.

Gupta said the police were expected to provide at least four or five shooters. They will be posted at the affected villages during the night along with forest department officials and will try to track and kill the tiger during the daytime.

“We are erecting watchtowers in the area for the purpose. We will also use baits to lure the tiger and put it down,” Gupta added.

A tiger is a schedule-I animal under The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and can be eliminated only through a government notification and by shooters of a government department.

Private shooters cannot be engaged for this purpose. As the environment and forest department in Bihar does not have any shooters, it has sought help from the police.