Forest officials have intensified combing operations to trap a tiger that has been habitually transgressing into human habitations at Cheeral and Nambikolly adjacent to the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
The operations began on Friday morning after the big cat, which has been posing threat to people for the past many weeks, reportedly killed a cow in the area on Thursday night.
Though a team of forest officials, including forest veterinary surgeon Arun Zachariah, started combing operations around 8 a.m. to trap the animal by tranquillizer shots they were not able to complete the procedures as the carnivore was roaming in patches of coffee plantations.
“Though the animal was sighted many times during the day the terrain was not suitable to fire tranquillizer darts,” warden N.P. Sajan, who led the team, told The Hindu . Moreover, the movement of public also raised challenges to such an operation, he added.
However, the operation would continue on Saturday, he said. “We have deployed a team of forest officials in the area to monitor the movement of the tiger,” Mr. Sajan said, adding that two cages with remains of carcasses had been set up to trap the animal.
Meanwhile, a mob blocked traffic on the Sulthan Bathery-Ooty interstate highway at Nambikolly carrying the carcass of the cow on Friday morning in protest against the laxity of the Forest Department in ensuring protection for life and property of the villagers.
Fair compensation
Later, Sulthan Bathery tahsildar M.J. Sunny and Mr. Sajan held discussions with the protesters and promised that fair compensation would be provided to the farmer for the loss of his cattle as per the recommendation of a veterinary doctor after autopsy.
The BJP called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Sulthan Bathery taluk on Saturday in protest against the alleged negligence of the government in providing security to the life and property of pthe ublic from recurring wildlife attacks in the district.
