SULTAN BATHERY: Tension prevails at Vellaram Kunnu in Puthussery of Wayanad district after a farmer who was attacked by a tiger died on Thursday. Agitated over the presence of a tiger in the village which is located far away from the forest, the local residents launched a protest and blocked the forest officers demanding immediate steps to capture the tiger. They said the officer will not be freed until the government announces steps.
Thomas (50) of Pallipurath house was attacked by the tiger near his house on Thursday morning. He suffered grievous injuries on his legs and hands. The thigh bone was fractured. A badly injured Thomas was immediately shifted to a private hospital in Kalpetta but he suffered a cardiac arrest on the way and died later.
Chief Wildlife Warden Ganga Singh issued an order directing North Wayanad DFO K J Martin Lowel to undertake an operation to capture the tiger. Northern Circle Chief Conservator of Forest K S Deepa will coordinate the efforts. The CWW directed to capture the tiger using a cage. But if the efforts to cage the tiger do not succeed, chemical immobilisation can be undertaken with all precautionary measures, said the order.
Meanwhile, forest minister A K Saseendran issued an order to provide an immediate compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Thomas. The Rapid Response team of the forest department has launched an operation to capture the tiger. Besides police and district administration have stepped in to address the concerns raised by the local residents.
According to the police, women who were involved in the employment guarantee scheme work sighted the tiger and alerted the forest department. The forest department had launched a search for the tiger when the big cat attacked Thomas. Tigers have been straying into human habitations around Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the farmers have been protesting demanding steps to end the menace. In Sultan Bathery, Cheeral, Pulpally and Meenangadi straying tigers have been killing cattle and spreading panic among the villagers.
Meanwhile, the protesting farmers have declared that they will not conduct the funeral of Thomas until the government issues an order to shoot the tiger which is posing a threat to human life. “The state government should follow the example of the Karnataka forest department. During the past one year, Karnataka has shot dead three tigers that killed human life. Section 11 A of the Wildlife (Protection)Act 1972 gives the power to the chief wildlife warden to kill wild animals that pose a threat to human life,” said Kerala Independent Farmers Association chairman Alex Ozhukayil.
The section says, “the Chief Wild Life Warden may, if he is satisfied that any wild animal specified in Schedule I has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, by order in writing and stating the reasons therefor, permit any person to hunt such animal or cause such animal to be hunted.”
The last time a human being was killed by a tiger attack in Wayanad was four years back and in the past one decade, this is the 49 death recorded in an attack by wild animals. Out of the 49, 41 deaths were on account of elephant attacks.