COIMBATORE: In a rare sighting, four tigers were spotted in a tea estate near Mynala village on the forest fringes of Ooty on Friday, triggering panic among estate workers.
According to sources, workers were engaged in routine tea plucking when they noticed large carnivores moving within the plantation. Initially mistaking them for leopards, some workers began recording videos on their mobile phones. It was only after zooming in that they realised the animals were tigers, leading to alarm and confusion.
The video footage shows four tigers walking through the estate before briefly settling at a spot within the plantation. After resting for a short while, the animals gradually returned to the adjoining forest area. Meanwhile, frightened workers abandoned their work and fled to safety.
Forest officials later confirmed that the group comprised a tigress and her sub-adult cubs moving together. They noted that tiger sightings in the Nilgiris district have increased in recent years, reflecting a steady rise in the big cat population. However, this has also led to more frequent human-wildlife interactions, particularly in villages and plantations along forest boundaries.
As a precaution, monitoring has been intensified, and forest personnel have been deployed in the area. Workers have been asked to remain alert-- Ram Prakash, Forest Range Officer
The incident has heightened anxiety among estate workers, many of whom have expressed reluctance to return to work. They have urged the forest department to step up surveillance and ensure adequate safety measures in the area.
Forest Range Officer Ram Prakash stated that the tigers, belonging to the same family, continue to be within the tea estates under the North Range of the Nilgiris Forest Division
"There is no possibility of them entering the village. However, as a precaution, monitoring has been intensified, and forest personnel have been deployed in the area. Workers have been asked to remain alert,” he said.