A 60-year-old farmer was mauled to death by an animal, suspected to be a tiger, at Puthoorkolly, near Noolpuzha, under the Muthanga range of forest in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on Monday evening.
Forest officials identified the victim as Bhaskaran, 62, of Sundarath at Puthoorkolly on the Kerala- Tamil Nadu border.
Bhaskaran was reported missing since Monday evening after he had gone to the forest for collecting firewood, his relatives said.
His partially devoured body was recovered from two sites inside the sanctuary, nearly a km from his house, on Tuesday morning in a search operation by forest officials and villagers.
Forest officials who inspected the spot identified the pugmarks of a tiger near the body.
A group of officials, including N.K. Abraham, Sulthan Bathery Tahsildar, and Roy P. Thomas, assistant conservator, WWS, were detained by the villagers when they reached the area.
The mob raised a slew of demands, including assistance to the kin of the victim.
Mr. Abraham held discussions with the villagers and assured them that he would recommend to the government a solatium of Rs.10 lakh be given to the family and a job for a kin of the victim.
Four surveillance cameras would be installed in the area to monitor the movement of the big cat and a cage would be set to trap it.
Moreover, the work to install an electric fence in the area would be expedited.
Bhaskaran is survived by wife, Valsala, and two children.
