WAYANAD: A 45-year-old tribal woman was mauled to death by a tiger at Pancharakolly in Mananthavady municipality here on Friday morning when she went to pick coffee in a private plantation belonging to a family friend. The body, which was partially eaten by the tiger, was found by the Thunderbolt squad during its regular patrolling.
The deceased, Radha, a member of Kurichiya tribe, was attacked by the tiger near the forest boundary of the plantation adjoining Priyadarshini Estate under Thalappuzha forest station limits. The tiger had dragged the body several metres into the forest.
Radha’s husband, Appachan of Tharat tribal hamlet, a temporary forest watcher, had dropped her near the plantation on his scooter around 8.30am and she had taken a forest path later. Radha is the aunt of Indian national women’s cricket team member Minnu Mani.
The incident sparked intense protests in the area, with residents and estate workers venting their anger at tribal development minister O R Kelu who reached the spot. The body was shifted to a nearby building with police help, but scores of people gathered outside the building and protested for around two hours, preventing the shifting of the body to Mananthavady govt medical college for autopsy. This is the eighth casualty in tiger attacks in the district since 2015.
The protesters allowed the body to be taken for autopsy only after Kelu announced around 2.30pm that the tiger that killed Radha would be declared a “man eater” and shot dead. He also announced a compensation of Rs 11 lakh to the family of the deceased, and that he would personally intervene in providing a govt job to Radha’s son.
The incident comes a day after opposition UDF raised in the assembly the recurring wild animal attacks in the state and the govt reiterating its demand to ease central norms to deal with the threats. Citing data, forest minister AK Saseendran claimed that human-animal conflicts were declining in the state.
The forest department has made elaborate arrangements to capture the tiger. A trap cage was deployed in the area in the afternoon with live bait. Thermal and normal drones are being used for search operations while 28 camera traps and four live cameras have been installed to ascertain the tiger’s identity.
Forest officials said staff under Thalapuzha and Varayal forest stations were combing the area using 12 bore pump action guns. Veterinarians under the leadership of chief forest veterinarian Dr Arun Zachariah, who were away in Athirapally on an elephant tranquilising mission, have been pressed into the operation. An RRT team from Sulthan Bathery and kumki elephants from Muthanga elephant camp will also join the efforts.
Residents, meanwhile, said they spotted the tiger again in the area around 3pm. Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi mourned the death and said there was an immediate need for sustainable solutions to the human-wildlife conflict.
Hartal in Mananthavady today
Congress and SDPI have called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Mananthavady municipal limits on Saturday, alleging lack of measures from the state govt to find a solution to the human-wildlife conflict.
Prohibitory orders issued
Mananthavady sub collector has declared prohibitory orders in wards 1-4 and 36 of the municipality for three days, restricting all types of gathering in view of the tiger threat. Also, the public have been advised to exercise caution.
Cricketer Minnu Mani seeks capture of tiger
Indian national women’s cricket team member Minnu Mani, who is away in Delhi, said the news of her aunt Radha’s death in a tiger attack was shocking. In a Facebook post, she called for the immediate capture of the tiger to provide security for people in the area.