MALAPPURAM: A young man named Gafoor was bitten to death by a tiger in Kalikavu, Malappuram district, in the early hours of this morning. “The tiger bit Gafoor on the neck and dragged him into the jungle,” said his fellow tapper, Samad.
The tiger attacked while he was tapping in a garden adjacent to the forest. Other tapping workers said that the tiger attack happened suddenly. They informed locals and police immediately after the incident, and they searched for Gafoor.
Police and locals searched for about an hour and a half before finding Gafoor's body. Gafoor was working on land leased for tapping.
The body was found at a location without transportation facilities and is known to be prone to wildlife presence. However, this is the first time a person has been attacked and killed by an animal in the area. The incident sparked widespread protests, demanding the arrest of the Nilambur South DFO.
The forest department was informed several times about the presence of the tiger. However, locals said there was no effective intervention. Since the presence of the tiger had been spotted in the area, locals demanded that the forest department place cages to catch the wild animal, but the forest department has not placed any.
The people did not allow the police to remove the body from the spot, demanding compensation for the deceased’s family.