Wayanad (Kerala), Jan 26 (PTI) The Kerala government has officially declared the tiger responsible for the death of a 47-year-old woman at an estate in Wayanad as a man-eater and ordered that it be shot dead.
Forest Minister A K Saseendran made the announcement on Sunday following a high-level meeting at the District Collectorate.
This decision comes after the tragic incident on Friday morning, when Radha, a woman from a Scheduled Caste community, was mauled by the tiger while plucking coffee at the Priyadarshini Estate in Mananthavady village.
Minister Saseendran said this is the first time in the state that a tiger has been declared a man-eater.
The same tiger that killed Radha also attacked Beat Forest Officer Jayasurya, a member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) deployed for patrolling duty in the area on Sunday.
The move to declare the tiger a man-eater was made after assessing its repeated attacks and the increasing threat to human lives, he said.
The decision followed a high-level meeting convened on the Chief Minister’s directive to address the growing issue of tiger attacks. Efforts are underway to capture the animal, and a meeting with the Chief Secretary and other officials was held to address public concerns.
The tiger was declared a man-eater after consulting with the Advocate General and other legal experts, with the Chief Minister’s support for the decision, he added.
In response to the threat posed by the tiger, steps have been taken to clear undergrowth in nearby areas, and surveillance in the region will be intensified. As part of enhanced wildlife management, 100 new cameras will be installed in Wayanad, and 400 AI cameras will be set up across the state by March 31 to strengthen monitoring and prevent wildlife-related attacks, Minister Saseendran said.
The minister also criticised the central government for its lack of support in addressing wildlife issues, stating that even reaching them by phone felt futile. However, he assured that the Centre would be notified of the current situation.
During his visit to Radha’s house, Saseendran faced intense protests from local residents who blocked his vehicle, expressing anger and demanding a withdrawal of his statement that Radha was killed inside the forest. Despite the protests, the minister, under police protection, managed to meet Radha’s family members and offered a temporary job to her son.
Addressing media after the visit, the minister assured that all necessary measures would be taken and urged people to support the government’s efforts. He also promised to personally monitor the progress of these actions and announced that another meeting would be held on January 29 to discuss the issue further.
Later, Saseendran visited Jayasurya, the forest officer injured in the tiger attack, at the hospital.
The tiger attack also sparked protests on Friday, with locals initially preventing the victim’s remains from being taken for postmortem until authorities assured them of measures to ensure public safety and capture or kill the tiger.
After Minister O R Kelu assured the community that steps would be taken, they allowed Radha’s remains to be taken for postmortem.
Following this, the forest department issued an order to capture or kill the tiger, and prohibitory orders were enforced under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent public gatherings in four divisions of Mananthavady municipality until the tiger is captured.
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