Wayanad: Residents of Padamala are once again living in fear of wild animals after a woman had a narrow escape from a tiger on Wednesday morning. Lizzy Joseph, a resident of Padamala, narrated how she narrowly escaped the clutches of a tiger en route to church, by taking refuge at a neighbour's home.
According to Lizzy, she heard an unusual sound while walking on the road. She ran to a nearby house thinking that it was another elephant. Another man who saw the animal also screamed and ran for his life. The residents were able to confirm that a tiger was on the prowl only after referring to the CCTV visuals in the area. The video footage showed the tiger crossing the roadon Wednesday morning shortly after Lizzy walked on the path.
The incident took place near the residence of Ajeesh, who was trampled to death by a wild elephant recently. A wild elephant had smashed open the gate of a house and stomped Panachiyil Ajeesh, 47, a native of Chaligadha near Mananthavady on Saturday morning. Efforts are on by the Forest Department to tranquilise and translocate the elephant.
Protests mount
An irate mob blocked the road in the morning at Padamala, demanding the state government to take immediate steps to capture the animal and ensure the safety of their lives. “We are unable to even work on the farm even during day-time as labourers are scared of some animal attack at any time,” said Aikkaratt Sabu, a resident.
Measures taken
Meanwhile, the Forest Department has laid cage traps at three places in the village. They have also fixed live camera traps to identify the tiger on the move. A special team was also constituted for night patrolling in the region. A police team is camping in the locality to avoid any untoward incidents.
The local residents, who are on vigil during night hours, are also organizing group patrolling. A majority of the farmers in the area are dairy farmers.
The community was already protesting against the State government's and Forest Department's inaction over such dangerous wildlife incursions. A hartal was observed against the rising human-animal conflict in Wayanad on Tuesday.
