Gudalur man-eater tiger to be shot dead

The Tiger, T23, is suspected to have also harmed more than a dozen cattle in villages surrounding the Gudalur locality. For more than a week, the Forest Department, was involved in search operations to trap the feline by tranquillising it after it killed 56-year-old V Chandran from Devan Estate. He was attacked while grazing along the forests abutting MTR on September 24. In the latest incident, M Basavan, 82 was killed by the tiger, while he was grazing cattle in the forest area. The tiger has now been declared a ‘man eater’ since the animal consumed human flesh.

After the incident came to light, a large gathering of irate villagers held a road roko on the Masinagudi Road demanding the Forest Department kill the carnivore. Tension prevailed as they didn’t permit the Department to take the deceased’s body for post mortem. Senior officials led by MTR Field Director D Venkatesh convinced the protesters to leave after informing them that a shootout order has been issued against the tiger. Officials said that the tiger, for the first time, fed on parts of a human as in the three previous incidents, body parts of the victims were intact. The Special Task Force personnel has now stepped up efforts in a joint operation with a 10-member expert’s team from Kerala in tracking the tiger.