The Forest Department is trying to track down a tiger that managed to free itself from a snare laid in an agricultural field in Uyilatty village near Kotagiri on Saturday. The animal managed to free itself by afternoon.
Department staff and officials, who were waiting for the arrival of a qualified wildlife veterinarian to tranquilise the animal, could not figure out how the animal freed itself or where it fled.
Despite setting up camera trap, officials said they could not find any traces of the tiger. “Upon closer inspection of the snare, there was no sign of blood or any traces of damaged tissue from the the animal,” a senior official from the Department said.
The Department would monitor livestock and conduct patrols in nearby areas to make sure that the tiger does not stray into human habitations. The officials said an investigation was under way to identify those responsible for setting up the snare.