Thiruvananthapuram: A three-member team of forest personnel, including a woman officer, was stranded inside the Bonacaud forest during tiger census work. The officials — Palode Range Office forester Vineetha, BFO Rajesh, and watcher Rajesh — had entered the forest on Monday. According to Palode forest officials, the trio were declared missing after they failed to establish communication with the department since Monday evening.

On Tuesday morning, one of them contacted the forest office and informed that they were safe. They had reportedly taken shelter on a hillock near Iruthode. As per reports, they are being escorted back to safety.

The Forest Department’s Rapid Response Team, along with the police, has launched an intensive search inside the dense forest to bring the officials back safely.

Authorities suspect the trio may have lost their way or become trapped due to adverse weather conditions.

The officials were deployed as part of the All India Tiger Estimation 2025–26, which began on December 1 following directions from the central government.

The team was scheduled to return by evening, but contact with them was lost shortly after they trekked further into the forest. When multiple attempts to reach them failed, officials launched a search operation later that night.

The Rapid Response Team (RRT), supported by local forest personnel familiar with the challenging landscape, began combing the area through the night.

The Bonakkad region, located along the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, forms part of the fragile Agasthyarmala range — an area marked by tough terrain, poor connectivity, and wildlife presence, all of which intensified concerns.

Senior officials, including the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), oversaw the search efforts and arrived at the location early Tuesday.

Forest Minister AK Saseendran, who had earlier remarked that it was “too early to say they were missing” and that only communication had been lost, later confirmed the encouraging news that all three officers were safe and being escorted out.

Initial information indicates the officials strayed off the designated survey path, and the dense forest canopy made communication nearly impossible.

Authorities said medical teams were kept ready, though early assessments suggest all three are in good condition. With the team now traced, the Forest Department is likely to review safety protocols for staff involved in wildlife surveys in high-risk regions.

Bonacaud, a dense forest region in Thiruvananthapuram district, is also the starting point for the trek to Agasthyarkoodam, one of Kerala’s highest peaks.