FORT POLK (AP) — The Army set traps with nets and raw chicken meat Wednesday, but a Bengal tiger cub still managed to elude the 100-man team of soldiers, deputies and helicopter crews who searched for the animal for a second day. | Being a government operation, did they establish a "Tiger Team"? |
"We're trying to flush the little rascal out, but he's not cooperating," said Scott Heinrich, owner of a wild animal consultancy that was brought in to track the tiger. The cat, thought to be about 1 year old and 100 pounds, was first seen Friday by a man near a base gas station. | Hell, it's just a baby tiger. |
Several more sightings have been reported, most recently on Tuesday night: one near a golf course and another near an area of base housing, said Maj. Ron Elliott, a Fort Polk spokesman. The cat is probably a pet that escaped or was set free, and witnesses have said it is wearing a collar, Heinrich said. No one has come forward to claim ownership. The Army more than doubled the size of the search team, which began with 40 deputies and soldiers Tuesday. Elliott said the searchers will strive to capture the animal humanely — in a trap or with a tranquilizer dart — but they would kill it if it attacks. "If there's imminent danger, we'll have to take the tiger down," Elliott said. Heinrich said that's unlikely. Unless cornered, the animal's first instinct will be to run away, he said."He's going to run like hell when he sees us," he said. Heinrich said he's been following paths through the base's thick brush and has seen several cat tracks. The Army has told people on the base to stay off running paths and other areas near where the tiger has been seen, Elliott said. But the search is difficult. The tracks are tough to follow because the ground is wet, Heinrich said. Hitting the animal with a tranquilizer dart will also be difficult because of the animal's speed and the thick brush that could deflect the dart, Heinrich said. "It'll be a tough shot to make," he said. |