Tiger Scare Grips Kerala Village, Farmers Protest With Dead Cow Carcasses

Farmers and local residents of a forest fringe village in Kerala’s mountainous Wayanad district, who have been living in fear of a tiger, blocked a busy road on Sunday in protest, displaying carcasses of cows that had been killed by the big cat.

Despite efforts by the Wildlife Department to cage the animal, the tiger killed two more cows owned by a farmer at Kenichira village in the early hours.

It had earlier killed two other cows in the hamlet.

Squatting on the busy road, the protestors raised slogans and demanded that the government authorities ensure protection for their lives and livelihood.

They displayed the carcasses of dead cows in a vehicle.

They demanded immediate intervention of the Wildlife Department to tranquilise the tiger and capture it at the earliest. “The tiger should be shot dead. The Wildlife Protection Act should be amended incorporating timely changes,” one of the protestors demanded.

A local woman resident said they were scared to send their children to school and to visit neighbouring houses due to the constant fear of the big cat’s presence in the area.

As the protest continued, Forest Minister A K Saseendran directed the wildlife officials to take necessary steps to capture the tiger.

Collector Renu Raj said if the animal could not be caged, steps would be taken to catch it after tranquilising it.

The Chief Wildlife Warden has been directed to grant permission immediately for this after completing necessary legal procedures, an official statement said quoting her.

Senior Wildlife Department officials rushed to the area and assured the villagers that necessary steps would be taken immediately to tranquilise the animal.

Steps have already been initiated to bring rapid response team personnel to the area as part of the mission to capture the animal, they said.

Forest officials also said Rs 30,000 would be given as an advance of the solatium to the farmers who had lost cows in the tiger attack. The rest of the amount will be handed over to them after completing the post-mortem procedures of the carcasses of the cows, they added.

Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CRPC have been imposed by the additional district magistrate in some wards in nearby Poothadi village for two days in view of the mission to capture the tiger.