COIMBATORE: Two trained kumki elephants have been deployed to assist the forest department in tracking and locating a tiger suspected of killing two farmers in Gudalur in The Nilgiris, even as a shutdown demanding the animal’s capture continued for a second consecutive day on Friday
The kumkis, Bomman and Udayan, from the Mudumalai elephant camp were transported by trucks to the Silver Cloud check-post on Friday evening. They were subsequently taken through Upper Gudalur and the Kokkāl area, where forest teams are conducting an intensive search for the tiger.
The Forest Department has stepped up surveillance with more than 130 camera traps installed at strategic locations to track the animal’s movements, while 13 cage traps have been placed as part of efforts to capture it. Three thermal drones are also being used to scan the forest and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, the shutdown demanding the immediate capture of the tiger continued across parts of the region for the second consecutive day on Friday. Members of various political parties also staged a protest near the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, demanding swift action from the authorities.
The agitation disrupted interstate vehicular movement on the route connecting the Nilgiris with Kerala. A large number of police personnel were deployed in the area to regulate traffic and prevent any untoward incident as protests continued.