Tiger attack leaves another dead, government decides to kill the beast

On last Monday, a farmer living in a village near Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary was eaten by a tiger. The victim, S Bhaskaran, 62, was passing through a forest path to another village, when the tiger pounced on him.

Next day, remains of his body were found scattered in the forest. After reading the pug marks found in the region, forest officials had come to the conclusion that the animal was a tiger.

Forest officials have come to the conclusion that the same tiger might have attacked the two persons as both villages were located in the same region bordering Tamil Nadu’s Muthumalai Tiger Reserve.

Kerala Chief Wildlife Warden G Harikumar said the decision to kill the tiger was taken due to public protest in Wayanad.

“We would scientifically identify the tiger, which would be caught either live or dead after maintaining the prescribed protocol. Surveillance cameras would be installed in the forest region and a special task force would be assigned with the task,’’ said Harikumar.

He said the tiger which had killed the human beings might be one which could not go for natural hunting in the forest due to injury or old age.

Two years back, the forest officials had shot dead a male tiger in Wayanad after it had repeatedly attacked domestic animals in human settlements near the wildlife sanctuary.

Though tigers poaching domestic animals had been a routine affair in Wayanad, the issue had then got a new dimension with rumours that the sanctuary would be declared a tiger reserve.

Due to pressure from people and political leaders, the forest officials were forced to kill the animal as tranquilizer darts failed.