Coimbatore

As many as 15 camera traps have been placed to monitor a tiger that was spotted prowling in villages near Udhagamandalam town.

The tiger was spotted over the last one week in some villages that were close to the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). Surveillance was enhanced after the carnivore attempted to prey on a dog in Mallikorai village. Thus far, the tiger didn’t have any problematic interactions with human beings.

The tiger’s presence came to light after some villagers captured video of the carnivore and circulated it on social media. The villagers were gripped by fear as the animal was spotted during day time while there was movement of people. They therefore urged the Forest Department to trap the animal.

Bhosale Sachin Thukkaram, District Forest Officer (DFO) of Nilgiris Forest Division, who visited the villages for an inspection, urged villagers not to venture out during dark and not let their cattle graze in conflict prone areas. The villagers informed the official that they were forced to skip farm work due to tiger scare.

“Camera traps were fixed in Mallikorai, Kavilorai, Mavukkal and Kadanadu villages, where there is suspected movement of the tiger. These cameras can capture movement of the tiger at a distance of around ten metres. Once the tiger’s image is captured, its age, gender and other features will be known,” he said.

During perambulation, the officials also spotted the remains of a spotted deer and wild boar suspected to be hunted down by the tiger. A team of five anti-poaching watchers have been formed to keep a tab on the animal.

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