Forest officials close in on big cat that killed worker

District forest Officials plan to instal 10 more camera traps at vantage points, as they have almost zeroed in on the location where the tiger is said to be on the prowl.

Based on circumstantial evidence and pug marks recorded in the camera traps, forest officials from Gudalur in the Nilgiris district, have cordoned off forest areas to tranquilise the tiger which is suspected to have mauled an estate worker last Sunday.

Wildlife experts and animal rights-related Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) attribute the problem to deforestation. They also opine that the forest officials should remove encroachments from the Reserve Forests and the whole area should be declared as ‘Mudumalai Tiger Reserve’, as the number of tigers might gradually have gone up. That could be a factor why tigers come out. Meanwhile, tracing the man-eater in the Gudalur forest division is continued for the fifth day on Thursday. 

Speaking to DTNext, District Forest Officer (DFO), Gudalur, SN Tejaswi exuded hope that the man-eater would land in the net in a couple of days. “Having secured pug marks of the tiger, we are nearing the spot where the big cat is believed to be on the prowl,” he said and added that their main aim was to catch the tiger alive with tranquilisers or cages set as traps. 

Around 200 staff from various NGOs, Special Task Force, forest officials including rangers and watchers and anti-poaching committee members are monitoring the situation round-the-clock. “We have already installed 45 camera traps and four cages. Four watch towers are being erected for veterinarians who will strive to tranquilise the tiger, if found, and 10 more camera traps will be installed,” he said. Another official from the Nilgiris district administration said intensive measures had been taken to catch the big cat alive.

Vijay Krishnaraj, a wildlife activist and former secretary, Nilgiris Wildlife Association, told DTNext that the man-animal conflict has gradually been on the rise in the forest areas. “Due to encroachment of forest lands, such incidents are being intermittently witnessed. Further, there may be a rise in the number of tigers in the Gudalur Reserve Forests,” he said, adding that in this case, the tiger seemed to have been earlier caught on the snares and was injured in the hind legs which prevented it from setting out over a long distance. That perhaps led to the killing of the worker in Devarshola in the Gudalur forest areas.

According to experts, tiger would usually avoid preying on human beings. “But in this case, since the tiger was injured and it was unable to hunt animals, mainly Sambar deer and other wild animals, it went after the man. If the food is not available for the tiger, it will eat some wild creatures like snakes and mongoose,” says Professor. A Relton, wildlife expert, Bishop Heber College, Tiruchy, who has extensively studied wildlife across Tamil Nadu.  He hoped the tiger in Gudalur forest would be trapped soon. 

“The tiger seemed to have eaten 25 kg of flesh during its last human hunting. So it is possible for it to feel hungry again and come out in search of food,” Relton said.