Tigress captured in Wayanad

A tigress that triggered panic among local residents at the Chettipambra, Anapanthi, and Cheeyambam Ezhupathi Moonnu areas near Pulpally, under the Chethalayalth forest range of the South Wayanad Forest Division, was captured from a tribal settlement on Sunday morning.

The tigress, aged about nine years, had triggered panic for the past three weeks after it killed about 15 goats in the area. Its capture has come as relief to the villagers.

A forest team, led by Chethalyath forest range officer T. Sasikumar, had set up two traps at Chettipambra and near a tribal settlement at Ezhupathi Moonnu on October 8 and October 11. The animal walked into the trap at Ezhupathi Moonnu early on Sunday.

The predator was shifted to the nearby forest station at Irulam on a tractor on a directive of South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer P. Ranjith Kumar.

Later, the big cat was examined by a team of veterinary experts led by Arun Zachariah, senior forest veterinary surgeon.

The animal seemed to be healthy, except for a broken canine tooth, department sources said. It was under observation to identify infection to its internal organs.

The animal is identified as a resident of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, home to more than half the number of tigers present in the State.

A 10-year-old tiger was captured nearly 100 metres from the area last year after it attacked a forest watcher and killed many domestic animals.