Picture of the alleged tiger left, meme that is being circulated right
After a news report by a Nagaland based media about a supposed sighting of two tigers in Kohima district ( 13.10.2021), Nagaland social media was abuzz with netizens being both excited and concerned over the alleged presence of tigers in Kohima. However, the excitement and concerns were short-lived as people soon started to question the true identity of the animal being captured in the photo with many netizens pointing out the animal's remarkable resemblance with a local dog breed. Closer inspection of the photo revealed that the animal in question does indeed have a dog-like face, very un-tigery stripes and tail, not to mention its diminutive size. Soon, many people came forward squashing the claim, saying it was a spray-painted dog all along, a meme flood ensued. Online meme makers are not alone in their scepticism over the alleged encounter as the chief wildlife warden of Nagaland Ved Pal Singh who has inspected the photo also expressed his doubt over the alleged presence of tigers in Kohima district. In an interview with Hornbill TV, the wildlife warden quoted
" Personally speaking, I don't believe in it, but we are trying to ascertain further facts.."
The practice of spray painting dogs to make it look like tigers is not uncommon in parts of Northeast India. The likelihood of the animal in question being a local dog spray painted as a tiger is quite high. But as of now, we will have to wait for the Nagaland Forest department to make an official statement on the incident. Until then, the game of guessing and meme posts carries on.
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