The tiger who mauled to death a tribal woman near Mananthavady in Kerala's Wayanad district has been found dead, the forest department said on Monday, January 27. The carcass was discovered by the forest department’s Rapid Response Team. Radha, the wife of a temporary Forest Watcher, was killed by a tiger on January 24 while she was walking towards her workplace. An official of the Kerala Forest Department’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) sustained injuries on January 26.
The carcass of the animal, declared as a man-eater by the Kerala government, was found with deep injuries on the neck. The RRT found the tiger dead at around 2:30 am inside the Pilakavu forest near Priyadarshini Estate in Pancharakolly village. It is suspected that the animal might have been killed by another tiger. The carcass has been shifted to the base camp for postmortem.
Forest Minister AK Saseendran told the media that the team will continue operations to locate other man-eating tigers in the vicinity. “Forest officials worked 24x7 despite threats to their life. Such problems cannot be solved by the state machinery alone, but should have the cooperation of residents in the region. Questions on the death of the tiger can be answered only after postmortem. Our animals are getting injured in the forest, reasons for which should be examined,” he added.
On January 24, Radha was plucking coffee cherries at the Priyadarshini Estate in Pancharakolly village when the tiger attacked her. Her mutilated body was discovered by Thunderbolt commandos, who were conducting a combing operation in the area for Maoists. They found the body around 11.30 am, following pug marks that indicated the tiger had dragged the body into the nearby forest.
A special team led by Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Arun Zachariah and Dr Ajesh Mohandas, along with expert trackers, had been deployed in the area to locate the tiger.
Approximately 100 Forest Department personnel, including darting specialists, trackers, and veterinarians, were involved in the operation. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the North Wayanad Division, KJ Martin Lowell, oversaw the comprehensive hunt. Multiple cages were strategically placed, and cameras and thermal drones deployed to monitor the tiger’s movements.