If not captured or tranquillised, kill Wayanad tiger that attacked man: Kerala govt

Wayanad (Kerala), Dec 10 (PTI) A day after the death of a 36-year-old man near Kalpetta here due to a tiger attack, the Kerala government on Sunday issued orders to kill the animal if it cannot be captured or tranquilised.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (WL) and Chief Wildlife Warden, D Jayaprasad, issued an order directing the Chief Conservator of Forests (Northern Circle), Kannur, to establish "undoubtedly" that the animal which killed the man was the same before the operation.

The order said that maximum effort should be taken either to cage or tranquilise the animal as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority norms.

"If the animal cannot be captured or tranquilised, and it is established as a man-eater, the same animal shall be killed under section 11 (1) (a) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, with strict adherence to the provisions of the section and the guidelines of NTCA as the tiger became dangerous to the human life in the area," the order read.

According to the provision of the Wildlife Act, the Chief Wildlife Warden may permit hunting of any wild animal specified in Schedule I, if it has become dangerous to human life.

Vakeri resident Prajeesh's half-eaten body was found near a forest area here on Saturday where he is suspected to have been dragged by the tiger when he went to collect grass for his cattle.

Locals alleged that it was a "man-eater" tiger and demanded the authorities to shoot and kill the animal.

The order, which came after strong protests from both the ruling and opposition fronts, said the operation shall be carried out under the supervision of CCF (Northern Circle). It is also directed to ensure the service of a medical team and a Rapid Response Team.

Earlier in the day, Bathery MLA, I C Balakrishnan, former MLA C K Saseendran and others staged a protest seeking stern action to safeguard the lives of the people in the region.

The leaders and the residents ended their protest after the issuance of the order after which the funeral of Prajeesh was held.

State Forest Minister, A K Saseendran, in a video message said the government will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the people.

Locals had earlier in the day told the media that the animal was a man-eater as it came back on Saturday night to the same place where Prajeesh's body was found earlier.

"It's a man-eater tiger. Yesterday, hundreds of people walked through the area where his body was found. But today, we can see its pug marks. As neighbours, our demand is to shoot and kill this man-eater tiger," a local resident told a TV channel.

As Prajeesh did not return even after several hours on Saturday, his brother went searching for him and found the body in a nearby forest.

Meanwhile, a senior forest official told PTI that there are three tigers in the locality as per their reports.

"Currently, we need to identify the tiger which attacked the man. All we have is a blurry photo. Steps will be taken according to the order," the official said.

Earlier this year, a 50-year-old man lost his life in a tiger attack.

In August 2017, the Kerala government informed the assembly that according to a tiger census conducted at the Periyar and Parambikulam Tiger Reserves in the state, there was a confirmed presence of 58 big cats in these reserves in 2016. PTI