NILGIRIS: A male tiger suspected of killing and partially devouring two people was trapped in a cage set up by the Forest Department in the Silver Cloud area near Gudalur in the Nilgiris on Friday morning.
Forest officials reported that the animal was caught around 6 am inside a cage placed in a private tea estate in the Silver Cloud locality, close to Gudalur’s 4th Division.
The tiger is currently aggressive, and teams are closely monitoring it. Officials have shifted the animal to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve for further examination and confirmation of its identity.
The capture comes after an intensive 28-day operation launched following the deaths of two local farmers. On August 8, M Balakrishnan was killed in a suspected tiger attack at Lauriston in the O’Valley area, with parts of his body consumed. On August 21, another farmer, K Ravikumar, met a similar fate while working near his home.
The Forest Department declared the animal a man-eater based on the nature of the attacks and evidence that it had fed on the victims.
More than 200 forest personnel were deployed in the search, supported by four kumki elephants from Mudumalai, drones, and camera traps installed at over 200 locations across the Gudalur forest division and adjoining ranges.
Multiple cages with bait were strategically placed in vulnerable spots, including tea estates and forest fringes. The operation faced challenges from difficult terrain, dense vegetation, and intermittent rain, but teams continued with round-the-clock monitoring and combing operations.
Forest Department officials stated that they are conducting a detailed investigation, including examination of the tiger’s stripe patterns against camera-trap images, to confirm whether this is the same animal responsible for the two fatal attacks.
The successful trapping has brought significant relief to residents of O’Valley and surrounding areas, who had been living under fear and restricted movement for weeks.
Local communities had staged protests and observed shutdowns demanding swift action. Officials continue to follow National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols for the animal’s handling and any potential relocation or captivity decision.