Even as efforts to corner the man-eater that killed three persons were intensified in Kundahchappai near here on Sunday, the animal created a flutter by resurfacing in nearby Thummanhatty.
Late in the evening when three boys were playing football on the Thummanhatty ground, the ball fell into an adjoining teagarden.
D. Praveen, a standard XII student of the Government Higher Secondary School in Thummanhatty went to fetch the ball. When he heard the growl of an animal, he turned to see the tiger lying down a few feet away.
He ran for his life and alerted the villagers who informed the forest and police personnel at Kundahchappai. Armed teams led by District Forest Officer M. Badhrasamy fanned out and launched a search but failing light hampered the operation.
Meanwhile, Nilgiris Collector P. Sankar told The Hindu that schools would be reopened in areas where the risk was not high. Out of the 45 schools closed, 28 would be reopened immediately.
