NILGIRIS: To ensure safety, officials of the Gudalur Forest Division transported school students, including tribal children, from their villages to their school at Lauriston on Monday. The students were picked up from the school after classes and dropped back at their respective villages.
The Forest Department took the measure in view of the ongoing operation to capture the 'man-eater' tiger in and around Lauriston, which entered its 11th consecutive day on Monday.
Along with tea estate workers, since August 21, school students were also advised to stay indoors as per the instructions of Gudalur Forest Division officials to prevent negative human-tiger interactions "We picked up more than 41 students from their houses in Lauriston, Theivamalai and Balavadi and dropped them back at their houses after school.
We are planning to provide transportation to the students until the tiger is captured. All arrangements have been made, including the installation of 13 cages and the deployment of kumki elephants to assist veterinarians in sedating the tiger if it is spotted," said an official of the Gudalur Forest Division.
"There is a high chance of untoward incidents occurring if students walk through the tea bushes from their houses to school. Since the workers have not been able to go to their regular work, we have purchased and handed over grocery materials to their families," the official added.
To effectively monitor the tiger, officials installed five GSM camera traps at Alloor and Silver Cloud estates on Monday.
Meanwhile, officials of the Nilgiris South Forest Range imposed a fine of `5 lakh on S Manikandan for allegedly placing an illegal snare to trap a wild boar at Karikadu Mandhu near Ithalar on Monday.
During the investigation, officials found that Manikandan was cultivating carrots on leased land at Karikadu Mandhu. He had allegedly placed the snare to kill wild boars, which were frequently damaging his crops and causing extensive losses.
