Wayanad tribal woman's death: Tiger stalked her, dragged body to forest

The tiger that killed a 45-year-old tribal woman named Radha in Wayanad stalked her along the path, attacked from close range, and dragged her before partially devouring the body, according to the report filed by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Northern Circle, Kannur. The blood stains were found at the scene and along the path through which the body was dragged into the forests, the report says.

Radha (45) was on her way to a nearby tribal settlement where she worked at a forest watcher’s plantation harvesting coffee beans.

Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) Pramod G Krishnan has issued an order to identify the tiger and cage it. If the tiger cannot be captured and remains dangerous to human life by turning into a man-eater, the animal shall be hunted, as per the proceedings of the CWW. The CWW notes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the animal in question has become dangerous to human life.

The shortcut Radha took on her way to the plantation was frequently used by locals, and the couple had chosen it to save time, as it was just a 50-meter stretch to her destination, North Wayanad DFO Martin Lowell told Onmanorama. But she didn't reach the other end. The tragic incident might have gone unnoticed if not for the Thunderbolt team of Kerala Police, who discovered the body around 11:15 am during their regular patrol in an area known for Maoist activity. The body was found just 100 meters from nearby human habitation, near the Tharatt Unnathi, Thalapuzha Forest Station in Begur Forest Range, North Wayanad Forest Division.

At the scene, Radha’s footwear was recovered, along with blood stains marking the spot and the path where her body had been dragged. Pug marks were collected, but the process of identifying the animal became complicated as the marks did not match those in the archives. Another forest watcher spotted the tiger again near the same site after Radha’s body was shifted for autopsy.

Special team mobilised to capture tiger
The best darting experts in the department have been deployed to tranquilize the animal. Leading the team of veterinarians is Chief Forest Veterinary Officer Dr. Arun Zachariah. Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Northern Circle, KS Deepa, is overseeing and coordinating various aspects of the operation. The district administration has issued prohibitory orders effective till January 27.

As part of the mission, 28 standard cameras and four live cameras have been set up to track the tiger’s movements. Additionally, Tiger Protection Suits have been provided to frontline trackers and darting teams for safety, and special patrolling has been organised along the jungle borders. Armed personnel from the Thalappuzha, Varayal, Irulam, and Pulppalli forest stations are actively involved in combing the area.

A base camp has been established at Pancharakolly, where the RRT from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary division is coordinating the operation. To enhance tracking capabilities, both thermal and regular drones have been deployed. Trap cages with live bait animals have already been set up to lure the tiger. Two Kumki elephants, Konni Surendran and Vikram, from the Muthanga elephant camp, will join the search on Saturday.

Martin Lowell has been appointed as the incident commander for the mission, with KS Deepa camping at the site to oversee the operations.

Meanwhile, the postmortem of Radha's body was completed at the Government Medical College Hospital in Mananthavadi on Friday afternoon. The body will be taken to her home on Saturday morning. The final rites will be held at Meenmutti House in Tharatt, Pancharakolly. Radha is survived by her husband Achappan, a temporary forest watcher, their son Anil, and daughter Anisha.