A tiger that had created panic at Neymakkad estate in Kannan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) in Munnar in Kerala's Idukki district for the last few days was finally captured. The tiger was trapped in the cage set up by the Forest department around 8.30 pm on Tuesday, October 4. The big cat killed 10 cows and left three seriously injured over two days. The Forest department then fixed three cages in the area to trap the animal.
Neymakkad borders Eravikulam national park and is close to the Mankulam reserve forest. After the tiger attack, nearly 2000 plantation workers had stopped work as they were scared to venture outside from home. Munnar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Raju Francis said that the trapped big cat is a 12-year-old male tiger.
A senior Forest department official said that they used drone cameras and other facilities to trap the big cat. “According to the primary inspection, it was suspected that the big cat was showing signs of cataract disease and this resulted in the repeated attack on domestic animals. An expert study is needed to confirm the issue" said the official. "A panel of expert veterinary doctors will inspect the tiger on Wednesday. The Forest department will hold a meeting and submit its report to the chief wildlife warden. It will then be decided whether to release the tiger into the forest or shift it to the zoo,” the official added.
The officials said the department had set up three cages in Neymakkad estate area and deployed watchers to capture the big cat. “The locals and Forest department officials sighted the big cat in the area on Monday. The Forest department received visuals of the big cat on Tuesday. We are sure that the animal is camping in the area” the official said. According to locals, the tiger had sparked panic among Neymakkad residents for the last several days. On Saturday night, five cows were killed and one was seriously injured inside the cattle shed of the estate division. The cows are owned by Palani Swami and Mariyappan. On Sunday morning, they found the cows killed. On Sunday night, the tiger killed another five cows in the Neymakkad west division around 11.30 pm.
The cows that perished were owned by Antony, Velmurukan, and Palaniswami, residents of Neymakkad estate. Tea plantation workers' unions jointly conducted a road blockade on the Munnar-Udumalpet national highway at Eravikulam near Munnar on Sunday around 11 am in protest against the tiger attack.
The workers organised a road blockade demanding compensation and steps to prevent animal attacks in the plantation areas of Munnar. The blockade disrupted traffic on the route for over two and a half hours, and the functioning of Eravikulam national park too, was affected. The road blockade was jointly conducted by INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress), CPI (Communist Party of India), and AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress). The protest ended after Devikulam sub-collector Rahul Krishna Sharma intervened and conducted a meeting with the protesters and Forest department officials. The Forest department then provided compensation and took steps to trap the big cat.
"The behaviour of the big cat showed that it has some health issues and this resulted in the repeated attack on domestic animals. An expert study can reveal the actual issue,” said the official.