Tiger Scare In Puducherry Reveals Unusual Twist, Turns Out To Be Doggy Doppelg?nger!

Puducherry residents were in for a shock on Thursday night when a tiger was seen prowling around. For an area that isn't a tiger habitat, this was strange indeed. What unfolded, and the story behind it, was stranger.

Tiger roaming the streets of Pudhucherry

On Thursday night, people living in Lawspet, Puducherry, hurried indoors and secured their doors and windows.

This was in response to two men riding a motorcycle and spreading the word that a tiger was roaming freely in the vicinity.

Representational Image| Unsplash

Additionally, pictures of the supposed 'tiger' prowling around were shared on social media platforms.

A dog 'acting' like a tiger

Upon receiving alerts, the police immediately took action, reviewing CCTV footage in hopes of locating the reported tiger.

To their surprise, the footage revealed that the supposed tiger was, in fact, a stray dog that had been painted with orange and black stripes.

This discovery has prompted a search for both the dog and the two individuals responsible for the false alarm.

BCCL

Inspector Venkatachalapathy of the Lawspet police explained, "There are no possibility of a tiger straying into this locality. There is no habitat for tigers in this region. Some miscreants coloured a stray dog with orange and black stripes to resemble a tiger. In the dark, residents mistook it for a wild animal. We have launched a hunt for the dog. Our inquiries revealed that the dog lives along the Puducherry-Tamil Nadu border. We have not received any complaints yet."

He further added, "We suspect that the miscreants painted the dog to resemble a tiger, took photos and videos and shared it on social media before cleaning up the dog. There is no movement of wild animals in the residential locality and people must not panic."

In general, tigers straying into residential areas in India has become a concerning issue in recent years.

Unsplash| Representational Image

As urbanisation encroaches upon traditional tiger habitats, these majestic animals sometimes find themselves navigating through human settlements in search of food or territory. Such incidents often result in panic among residents and pose risks to both humans and tigers.

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