Cage set up near site where farmer was killed; an unmanned aerial vehicle to be used from Tuesday to monitor the big cat
Intensive combing operation by the Forest department to capture a tiger that is suspected to have killed a farmer on Saturday in the Koodallur area under the South Wayanad Forest Division yielded no results on Monday.
The attack has triggered panic among the residents of Koodallur and Moodakkolly areas, bordering the South Wayanad Forest Division and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Forest department deployed trackers and installed camera traps to locate the animal but the animal could not be traced in the human habitat covered by coffee plantations.
Following protests by the farmers and local people, the Chief Wildlife Warden issued an order on Sunday to shoot dead the tiger if it was not possible to tranquilise and capture it. A 50-member team consisting of trackers, veterinarians and members of the Rapid Response Team of the Forest department took part in the combing operation on Monday.
More cameras
Though the team searched coffee plantations in the area, they could not spot the animal. Northern Circle Chief Conservator of Forest K.S. Deepa told media persons that they were trying to get a clear image of the animal to identify the man-eater and for this they would install 12 more surveillance cameras in the areas, apart from the 10 already installed.
An unmanned aerial vehicle would be used from Tuesday to monitor the big cat, Ms. Deepa, who is supervising the operation, said.
The forest officials on Monday evening set up a cage on a private coffee plantation, near the site where the farmer was killed, to capture the animal.
Meanwhile, Poothadi grama panchayat president Mini Prakash handed over a cheque for ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased farmer Prajish as the first instalment of compensation. Forest department sources said ₹5 lakh more would be given to the kin after verifying the documents.
