After a 10-day long search, a rapid response team (RRT) of the Forest department has captured an elusive tiger that strayed into human habitats at Amarakuni in Wayanad district of Kerala. The tiger was caught in a cage trap set up at Thoopra in Pulpally panchayat around 11.30 p.m. on Thursday (January 16, 2025).
Forest department sources said the animal was in an exhausted state and bore a wound on its left paw. It has been taken to the Irulam forest station for further care.
Five goats killed
For more than a week, the tiger had been on the prowl around various coffee plantations in the Pulpally-Amarakuni areas. It had reportedly killed five goats, creating a scare among the villagers. The Wayanad district administration had declared holidays for a few local schools in the village, apart from issuing prohibitory orders to intensify the safety measures.
It was on January 7 that the villagers first spotted the animal near a coffee plantation at Amarakuni. Since then, the RRT members had been camping at the spot for action.
Following the direction of South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Ajith. K. Raman, they had laid traps in about four locations to ensnare the animal. Also, drones fitted with thermal scanners had been deployed to spot its exact location for speedy action.
Amidst the search, there were also protests on the part of a section of farmers alleging apathy on the part of the Forest department in capturing the elusive animal with advanced options. They had also criticised the senior officers for using the traditional cage traps in place of tranquiliser darts.
Published – January 17, 2025 09:44 am IST
