Wayanad: A special team has been deployed in Wayanad's Pancharakolli to identify and tranquilise the tiger that attacked and killed a tribal woman on Friday following an order by Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) Pramod G Krishnan. If it cannot be captured and remains a danger to human life, turning into a man-eater, the animal shall be hunted, as per the CWW's proceedings. The order states there are reasonable grounds to believe the tiger has become a threat to human life.

The Forest Department’s top darting experts have been mobilised to tranquilise the tiger, with Chief Forest Veterinary Officer Dr Arun Zachariah leading the team of veterinarians. Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Northern Circle, KS Deepa, is supervising and coordinating various aspects of the operation. Martin Lowell has been appointed as the incident commander for the operation.

Prohibitory orders were enforced in four divisions of Mananthavady municipality, including Pancharakolli, until Monday, January 27. The hartal declared by the UDF in protest against the wildlife attack has begun. The hartal is from 6 am to 6 pm in the Mananthavady municipality area.

To monitor the tiger's movements, 28 standard cameras and four live cameras have been installed. Tiger Protection Suits have been provided to frontline trackers and darting teams, while 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 operations.

A base camp has been set up at Pancharakolly, where the Rapid Response Team (RRT) from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary division is coordinating the mission. Both thermal and standard drones have been deployed to enhance tracking efforts. Trap cages with live bait have been positioned to lure the tiger. Additionally, two Kumki elephants, Konni Surendran and Vikram, from the Muthanga elephant camp, will join the search on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the body of Radha, the tiger attack victim, was shifted to a home in Mananthavady at 8.30 am on Saturday. 

The woman was mauled down from the rear and partially devoured by the tiger while she was crossing a footpath through the forest. She was caught and dragged by the tiger into the forest on Friday morning. The last rites of the woman would begin by 11.30 at home. The body was kept at the morgue at Government Medical College Hospital, Mananthavady, on Friday.