NILGIRIS: Giving much-awaited relief to the residents of Gudalur in the Nilgiris district, the male tiger that killed and partially devoured two men in August was trapped in a cage set up by the forest department in the Silver Cloud region on Friday, ending a 29-day operation.
After verification, the tiger was relocated to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, Chennai.
According to forest officials, the big cat was caught around 4 am inside a cage placed at a private tea estate in Silver Cloud, close to the fourth division in Gudalur.
The tiger, which is currently aggressive, is being closely monitored by forest teams. Officials had initially shifted the animal to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve for further examination before deciding on its permanent placement.
The capture ends an intensive operation launched after the deaths of two local farmers. On August 8, M Balakrishnan (58) was killed in a tiger attack at Lauriston in O-Valley, with parts of his body devoured.
‘Tiger immediately shifted to Vandalur to avoid injuries’
On August 21, another farmer, K Ravikumar (51), met a similar fate while working near his home. Subsequently, 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.
A team led by P Devaraj, DFO, Gudalur Division, consisting of more than 200 forest personnel, was deployed to locate and capture the animal, 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 live bait were strategically placed in vulnerable spots, including tea estates and forest fringes. The operation faced multiple challenges, including difficult terrain, dense vegetation and intermittent rains, but the teams continued with round-the-clock monitoring and combing operations.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu Rakesh Kumar Dogra confirmed that the captured tiger was responsible for both killings.
“The male tiger captured in Gudalur has been clearly confirmed to be the animal involved in the deaths of two people, based on analysis of scat samples at the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in Vandalur. The tiger, estimated to be around 11 years old, is an ageing animal with an impaired canine, which has compromised its ability to hunt in the wild,” he told TNIE.
Dogra further said that a committee constituted as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocol, comprising the field director and experienced veterinarians, inspected the tiger and advised that it is not fit to be released in the wild.
“Following the NTCA committee’s recommendation and its protocols, the tiger was immediately shifted to Vandalur Zoo, as prolonged confinement could cause injuries,” he added.
Meanwhile, the successful trapping of the tiger has brought relief to the residents of O-Valley and surrounding areas, who had been living in fear with their movement restricted for weeks. Earlier, local communities had staged protests and observed shutdowns demanding swift action.
200 staff, four kumki jumbos deployed
A team led by Gudalur DFO consisting of more than 200 forest personnel was deployed to locate and capture the tiger, with the support of four kumki elephants and camera traps installed in 200 areas