Cages placed to capture Masinagudi man-eater

COIMBATORE: The Gudalur forest department on Thursday placed five cages to trap a tiger that killed a 69-year-old tribal woman near Masinagudi in the Nilgiris.

The deceased, Nagiammal, wife of Balan from Mavanallah in Masinagudi panchayat, was grazing her cattle near a stream when she came under attack by a carnivore on 24 November. Soon, the forest department began the search operation by fixing surveillance cameras in 24 spots. On confirming the tiger’s frequent intrusions in Mavanallah, the forest department placed five cages with a goat as bait to capture the animal.

Officials believe the tiger has lost its hunting capabilities due to old age. As a precaution, the forest department has begun transporting students to schools in their jeeps, while villagers in Mavanallah were advised not to venture out alone.

In another wildlife-related incident, the forest department in the Nilgiris has launched a search for Rivaldo, identified as a gentle elephant habituated to humans, as it has gone missing for over a month from its usual habitats.

The 54-year-old elephant could not be sighted over the last 35 days. For the last several years, Rivaldo roamed around Sigur, Masinagudi and Vazhaithottam areas and fed on food offered by tourists and residents.

To trace the elephant, a 25-member frontline staff of the forest department were patrolling along the forest border areas, river banks and other areas over the last few days, assuming that Rivaldo may have fallen ill due to its old age. Besides scrutinising the surveillance cameras fixed inside the forest area, drones were also used in a search operation. The forest department is hopeful that the elephant may have moved over to either Kerala or the Karnataka forests by joining some herd.