Tiger that triggered terror in Munnar trapped: Kerala forest officials
Divisional forest officer of Munnar Raju K Francis said the male tiger was about 9 years old and it was partially blind as one of the eyes was afflicted with severe cataract. He said six expert members formed as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority will take a decision on future of the animal after treatment.
A tiger that raided human habitats and killed many domestic animals in Munnar in Idukki district was trapped in a cage set up by the forest department on Tuesday night, forest officials said on Wednesday.
Divisional forest officer of Munnar Raju K Francis said the male tiger was about 9 years old and it was partially blind as one of the eyes was afflicted with severe cataract. He said six expert members formed as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority will take a decision on future of the animal after treatment.
Veterinary surgeon of the forest department Arun Zachariah also inspected the caged animal which was brought to veterinary research centre in Devikulam, he said.
“After treatment the panel will submit a report to the chief wildlife warden and he will take a final decision on whether to release it in wild again or keep it in a zoo,” he said.
But local people, who lost more than a dozen cattle, said they will oppose releasing it in the wild in nearby areas. “We were told the animal moves around in 40-60 km radius in few days for looking for prey and mate. Even if it is released 100 km away chances are there it will return to our area for easy prey,” said estate worker Palani Swami, who lost five cows three days ago.
The killing of a dozen-odd cattle in Neyamakkad and Kadalar areas in Idukki district had triggered a panic and many tea estate workers were scared to venture out of their houses in last two weeks. Agitated local people had blocked Munnar-Udumalpetta road on Sunday demanding compensation and immediate steps to redress their grievances.
The protest was called off later after Devikulam sub- collector Rahul Krishna Sharma assured them adequate compensation and immediate measures to locate the big cat and trap it. Later forest officials installed night vision cameras and cages to track the movement and trap it. Later the forest department had deployed more than 100 trained personnel and animal trackers which finally resulted in trapping the trouble making feline.
Forest officials suspect the animal from the nearby Periyar tiger reserve, which is home to 35 big cats as per the 2017 census, might have landed near human settlements after poor vision affected its hunting prowess.
The pug marks of the trapped animal will be taken and compared with other tigers in the area to confirm its identity, they said. According to 2017 tiger census there are 190 big cats in Kerala’s Parambhikulam, Periyar and Wayand wildlife sanctuaries are their favourite habitats.