FOREST DEPARTMENT: TIGER THAT KILLED CATTLE IN WAYANAD CAUGHT

The tiger that had terrorised the residents of Kenichira in Wayanad district over the past few days was caught on late Sunday as it walked into one of the cages set by the forest departament.

Earlier in the day, the forest department issued an order to tranquilise and capture the tiger.

The forest department had set up two cages, filled with bait, in the area in a bid to capture the tiger.

“In the past two days, the tiger has killed three cattle from two homes in our area. The first kill was reported around 10:30pm on Saturday in the cattle shed of a family. Then at around 4 am on Sunday, the tiger came back to the area and killed two more cows from the shed of another resident. This time, the owner of the house also saw the tiger escaping from the compound,” said Mercy Sabu, the ward member in Poothadi panchayat.

“On Sunday morning, all of us began a blockade on the main road along with the carcass of the cow that the tiger left behind. All of us demanded that the tiger be caught immediately and shifted from the area. We cannot live in fear,” she said.

The pressure exerted by the locals and ward members worked with the forest department announcing compensation of ₹30,000 per cow and issuing an order by the chief wildlife warden for its capture.

“The Rapid Response Team (RRT) members searched the area extensively till evening looking for the tiger. But it was not found as heavy rains hampered the search operations,” the ward member said.

Kenichira falls in Poothadi panchayat limits and is home to a lot of coffee plantations, which can provide a cover for wild animals like tigers.

Located close to the forest range, the panchayat also frequently witnesses intrusions of wild animals.

Human-animal conflict, which has claimed several human lives and countless lives of domesticated animals this year, is one of the pressing issues of Wayanad district.

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2024-06-24T02:45:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd