Normal life affected in Wayanad villages as man-eating tiger continues to roam free

The department also formed an 80-member team to capture or eliminate the tiger. The team has split into three squads and were combing the area.

Two kumki elephants, Bharat and Vikram, have also joined the search. Wildlife expert and an Additional Director in the animal husbandry department Dr Arun Zachariah, too, has joined the team.

Reports said the tiger had been captured in camera traps, indicating that it had not left the area.

On Saturday, 16 December, the same tiger picked up fowl from a poultry farm belonging to Jatheesh Changaramparambil of Koodallur. Forest rangers also found pugmarks of the tiger on the farmland.

At least 36 cameras have been installed in the area, besides cages, Forest Minister AK Saseendran told South First.

Trying to allay the fears of the residents, he said forest officials have intensified the search for the beast.

Related: Forest Department identifies man-eating tiger

Compensation for Prajeesh’s kin

“We are actively tracking the animal after gathering a lot of evidence,” South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Shajna Kareem told South First. She said the authorities had installed more surveillance cameras and a second cage near the poultry farm.

Former leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, meanwhile, urged the government to eradicate the threat.

Speaking to reporters in Wayanad on Saturday, Chennithala said that the government should protest the lives and properties of citizens. He also pointed out the frequent wildlife attacks on farmlands and crops.

He demanded adequate compensation for Prajeesh’s family, He also urged the government to avoid human habitation close to the forests.

Zachariah, too, said the residents need not be scared. Forest department officials and the members of the Rapid Response Team were patrolling the area, including during nighttime, he said.

“The forest department officials have been divided into three groups and are ready to fire tranquillizer darts. We’ll do all in our power to capture it, and bring peace to the area,” he added.

On Friday, people’s representatives and forest department officials gave the first instalment of ₹5 lakh of compensation to Prajeesh’s family. Poothadi Panchayat president Mini Prakash, Chethalayam Forest Range Officer Abdul Samad, and ward member Rugmini Subramanyam handed over the cheque to his relatives.

Following Prajeesh’s death, the residents and political workers demanded the immediate killing of the tiger. The forest department, which initially ordered the translocation of the tiger, later amended its order and authorised officials to kill the animal if it could not be captured alive.

The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary has the largest tiger population in Kerala.