Pilibhit tiger with camera bag in mouth sparks worry, rules planned to curb litter in reserve

PILIBHIT: A photo of a tiger with a camera bean bag in its mouth at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) has been widely circulated on social media, raising concerns of the big cat possibly ingesting the synthetic material.
Captured during a morning safari on Wednesday, the image shows a male tiger, known as Rocket among tourists, gripping the bean bag, typically used by photographers to stabilise their cameras, in its jaws. Forest officials said the bag was accidentally dropped by a tourist during the safari.
Dr Daksh Gangwar, veterinary officer of PTR, said, "If the animal ingests any part of the synthetic material, it could lead to choking, internal blockages, or even poisoning. Ingestion of such foreign materials can be fatal for wild animals, particularly big cats with sensitive digestive systems." Forest staff are closely monitoring the tiger's movements to ensure it hasn't swallowed any part of the bean bag. So far, no abnormal behaviour has been observed, said officials.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of safari protocols and tourist conduct in protected areas. Authorities are now calling for stricter checks to prevent non-biodegradable items from entering the reserve.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of PTR, Manish Singh, said the range forest officer of Mahof range has been directed to identify the photographer who dropped the bag. An inquiry will be conducted among safari vehicle drivers and tourist guides for the same.
"The tourist in question will face legal action under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. Since he did not inform forest personnel about dropping the bag, it implies that he intended to conceal the information. If he shared the matter with us, we could have immediately discovered it and saved the tiger from probable risks," Singh said.
After the photo surfaced, the DFO has accepted two suggestions from Gangwar to discourage disposal of synthetic materials during safaris. Once these measures are enforced, canteen operators at the Mustafabad-based safari entry point and Chuka ecotourism spot will charge a refundable security deposit of Rs 20 to 30 on the sale of every plastic water bottle under a valid receipt. The deposit will be returned when the empty bottle is handed back at the end of the safari.
Under the second regulation, canteen operators will be required to transfer packed chips and takeaway items from synthetic packaging into paper bags at the time of sale. Tourist guides will also be tasked with keeping a close watch to prevent reckless disposal of synthetic and non-biodegradable materials in the core forest area during safaris.