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Wednesday, February 12, 2025

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Man-eating tiger spotted at a tea estate near Pancharakolly


A public protest at the base camp at Pancharakolly on Saturday demanding effective steps against wild animal attacks.

Pancharakolly, near Mananthavady, in Wayanad, remained tense through out the day on Saturday with protest by local residents demanding that the Forest department hunt down the man-eating tiger that mauled a tribal woman there on Friday.

However, by evening, the irate mob, demonstrating in front of the base camp of the mission team tasked to capture the feline, had wound up their protest after some people spotted the tiger at a tea plantation bordering the forest. The Forest officials had to warn them using loud speakers to stay indoors, even as the district administration imposed a curfew at Pancharakkolly and nearby areas.

Meanwhile, the Additional District Magistrate of Wayanad chaired an all-party meeting later in the evening. A decision was made to take immediate steps to prevent further animal attacks such as maintaining a clear demarcation between the plantations and the forest by clearing the shrubbery and setting up an additional fence along the forest border.

Ten-member team

A ten-member team has been constituted to capture the tiger. Despite the public outcry, the tiger, if captured alive, will be moved to a zoo. The Forest and police officials will do a combined patrolling of the area until the tiger is caught. Six vehicles will be arranged to take the children to and fro their schools.

Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran will chair a high-level meeting on this issue on Sunday. The protestors had questioned his absence at the spot in such a critical situation and had blamed the Department of Forests and Wildlife for its lackadaisical attitude when the incidents of man-animal conflict were on a steep rise in the district. The public demanded an immediate solution to the issue, as their livelihoods were in limbo when the tiger was roaming around freely.

Members of a rapid response team keeping surveillance from a tree house near Pancharakolly.

Members of a rapid response team keeping surveillance from a tree house near Pancharakolly.

The Forest officials had launched a widespread combing operation in the morning, setting up cages at strategic locations to capture the tiger. Trained elephants (kumkis) from the Muthanga elephant camp were deployed to support the search operations. Thermal drones and regular drones, besides camera traps, are being used to track the movement of the tiger. Chief Conservator of Forests (Northern Circle) K.S. Deep and several senior Forest officials have camped at Pancharakkolly to monitor the operations. A team led by Forest Veterinary Surgeon Arun Scaria has been pressed into service for tranquillising the tiger.

Radha, a worker at Priyadarshini estate and wife of a temporary forest watcher, was plucking coffee cherries when she was attacked by the tiger on Friday morning. Her funeral was carried out on Saturday morning.

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