Carnivore’s movement worries villagers

Forest officials inspecting the spot where a man was killed by a carnivore in Udhagamandalam. Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Panic grips villages along the reserve forests in the district after a woman and a man were killed by a carnivore. Initially, it was suspected that a leopard had killed them.

A senior officer told The Hindu on Tuesday that the evidence at the spot and the manner in which the kill had been executed indicated that the animal was a young tiger. Kavitha’s (33) body was found inside a reserve forest at Aadasholah near here on Saturday and the badly mauled body of Chinnappan (58) was recovered from the Old Cinchona Plantation of the Nilgiris North Range late on Monday night.

Forest officials have joined hands to evolve ways to deal with the situation. They are being assisted by organisations such as the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust.

Solatium given

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced a solatium of Rs. 3 lakh to the family of Susai after his son was mauled by a leopard in the Nilgiris.

The Chief Minister expressed her condolences to the family of Susai.