The Forest Department has advised residents of Wayanad to remain alert following reports of tiger sightings in three human-inhabited areas—Vandiyampatta, Chirakkara and Cheeyambam. Search operations are underway in these locations, led by the North Wayanad Forest Division.

Anxiety among locals escalated after a photograph of a tiger walking along a road, taken by autorickshaw driver Ajmal during a night ride on Wednesday, went viral on social media. Ajmal said he initially mistook the animal for a cow but realised it was a tiger as his vehicle approached.

At Chirakkara near Mananthavady, local resident Shahalas also spotted a tiger on Wednesday. Forest officials later confirmed the presence of pugmarks during a search. As a precautionary measure, 11 camera traps have been installed in the area, and patrols by the Rapid Response Team (RRT) have been intensified. Some residents, however, noted that a tiger has been moving through the region for several years without any reported human casualties.

In Cheeyambam, a goat kept in a shed at the Anappanthi tribal settlement, owned by Malathi Bomman, was attacked around midnight on Friday. The Forest Department confirmed that the attack was by a tiger and has set up camera traps to monitor its movement. A buffalo calf was also attacked recently at the tribal settlement near Cheeyambam. That tiger was later captured after it fatally attacked a man at Devaragadda near Pulpally.

The sightings have triggered fear in the affected areas, with many residents avoiding stepping out at night and during early morning hours.

Forest officials and experts attribute the increased sightings to the ongoing mating season of big cats, combined with a drop in temperatures that drives them to roam longer distances in search of mates. South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer Ajit K Raman told Onmanorama that such sightings are common during the mating season.