Wayanad: The man-eating tiger of Wayanad's Koodallur has killed a cow here striking again after a break of two days. The tiger attacked the cow of Vakayil Santhosh, a dairy farmer of Kalloorkunnu near Koodallur in the wee hours of Sunday.
The combing operations of the forest department's Rapid Response Team and the special team constituted to nab the tiger were on a lull pace for the last two days as there were no signs of the tiger in the region. However, the tiger attack has reactivated the 100-plus team which resumed operations. The cages and camera traps are being shifted to the location where the animal was spotted.
A dairy farmer Prajeesh, 36 was killed and partially eaten by the tiger on Saturday afternoon while he was collecting grass for the cattle from a farm land. Though tiger experts are yet to slap the man-eater tag on the tiger, claiming that it might be a mistake by the tiger, the villagers were up in arms against the forest department demanding the immediate killing of the animal.
South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Shajna Karim told Onmanorama that the team had confirmed that the tiger was the same animal that killed Prajeesh. “Moves are afoot to capture the animal either dead or alive”, she said, adding that the entire team is in action mode and necessary strategy will be adopted at the right time of action.
The two kumki elephants Vikram and Bharath are still in the village as part of the operation. The Forest department had deputed a team of its best officers known for their expertise in dealing with such animals to ensure the speedy capture of the animal.
Meanwhile, the animal hospice of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) near Sulthan Bathery for ‘Big Cats’ aimed at ensuring better treatment and rehabilitation, has been crowded with 7 tigers in the facilities allotted only for five. The Rs 1.12 Crore Animal Hospice and Palliative Care facility at the WWS, inaugurated last year, was created for veterinarians to treat seriously wounded, aged and diseased animals. The top brass are lost on how to deal with the animal if it is caught alive as the facility is overcrowded now.
According to wildlife experts, the new entrant will be shifted to some zoo in the state, and if the new tiger animal needs prolonged treatment and care, one of the healthy tigers in the hospice would be shifted.
