MALAPPURAM: The tiger that killed rubber tapper Gafoor Ali at Kalikavu in Malappuram has finally been captured in a trap set by the forest department three weeks ago at Sulthana Estate.
The female tiger, estimated to be around 13 years old, was spotted by migrant labourers on Sunday morning. Officials believe it got trapped in the cage on Saturday night. The animal suffered injuries on its face after repeatedly hitting the bars of the cage in an attempt to escape.
Amid strong protests from local residents, the forest department decided to shift the tiger to the Thrissur zoo.
Residents had demanded that the animal either be relocated to a zoo or shot dead, strongly opposing its release back into the wild. Hundreds gathered in the area on Sunday to express their anger.
Gafoor Ali, a native of Chokkad, Kallamoola, was caught by the tiger on May 15 while tapping rubber in Rauthankadu. His friend, Samad, alerted local residents after the attack, and the body was recovered about half an hour later.