NILGIRIS: A day after Mari, a 50-year-old tribal woman, was killed by a tiger at Padi in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), the forest department on Thursday set up 21 camera traps in the area and deployed field-level staff along with a veterinarian and biologist to track the animal.
On Thursday, a team of 20 foresters started clearing bushes to create visibility for the residents to avoid further incidents as the tiger is suspected to be hiding in thick vegetation in the region.
MTR Field Director D Venkatesh said, “A total of 103 tigers was identified in MTR during the census conducted in 2019. Theppkadu alone has five tigers. The camera traps installed in the region will help us to identify details about the tiger, including the gender of the tiger and if it is sick.
It will take three to five days to identify the animal. Further, we have been identifying the animals using their stripe pattern and this will give a clear picture of whether the animal is living within MTR or has entered from a nearby tiger reserve.”
“To prevent people from entering the forest to collect firewood, we have decided to distribute Senna spectabilis that are cleared by forest department staff elsewhere,” he added. An official from the forest department said, “We have advised the residents not to fish in the river during night hours. Also, several Mahouts and Kavadis in the Theppakadu elephant camp are residing in Padi and nearby tribal villages and they have been advised to avoid walking alone.”