NILGIRIS: Villagers of Mavanallah heaved a sigh of relief after an aged tiger was captured on Thursday morning in one of the four cages placed by the Forest Department to trap the animal.
Staff of the Mavanallah Forest Beat noticed the animal inside a cage in which a live goat had been tied to lure it, at around 6.30 a.m. on Thursday. Officials suspect that the big cat may have been trapped during the early hours.
According to M.G. Ganesan, Deputy Director of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), “The animal health seems weak; that’s why it has targeted the tribal woman unexpectedly. The committee consisting of members of the NGO formed by the Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra will decide the next course of action; whether to release the animal inside the cage or taking it to the Vandalur zoo or somewhere else will be decided.”
However, sources said the tiger is likely to be taken to a zoo considering its deteriorating health, allegedly due to advanced age. They added that the animal is believed to be more than 15 years old, while the average lifespan of a tiger is around 15 years, and relocating it inside the reserve forest could create problems.
It may be recalled that on 24 November, the tiger had allegedly killed a 65-year-old tribal woman, B. Nagiyammal, who was grazing goats on patta land near the Mavanallah forest boundary, leaving villagers in shock. Following the incident, the Forest Department restricted grazing in the area, set up four cages to capture the animal, and deployed 29 camera traps to monitor its movements.