Tiger shot dead in Idukki after Tranquilizer attempt fails
text_fields
Idukki: A tiger that had caused panic among the locals in Gramby in Kerala's Idukki district was shot dead after tranquillizer shots failed to subdue it.
The tiger, even after two tranquillizer shots, had attacked the special team, which was on the prowl to capture it.
According to officials, the first tranquillizer shot fired at the tiger had an unexpected effect, causing it to become violent. A second shot only increased its aggression, prompting the tiger to charge towards the Rapid Response Team (RRT).
In the chaos, one RRT member suffered injuries. Fearing for their safety, the RRT officials, who were armed, opened fire, and in that gunfire, the tiger dropped down.
The RRT officials lifted the tiger into a net and put it into a vehicle.
Contrary to initial reports, recent pictures have exposed that the tiger was lifeless when it was lifted into the net. The Rapid Response Team (RRT) had transported the tiger, presumed to be alive, to the Thekkady Wildlife Reserve, only to discover later that it had succumbed to its injuries.
Incidentally, a team of the Kerala Forest Department, police, and locals, which has been on the lookout for the tiger for the past six days, on Monday morning saw it in a tea estate.
Prior to its demise, the tiger had been spotted a few days earlier, displaying signs of weakness and limping due to a suspected injury. Authorities had set up a cage near the Government LP School in Gramby in an attempt to trap the ailing animal. However, the tiger's frail state hindered its ability to enter the trap, prompting officials to shift their strategy to tranquillization instead.
Kerala has witnessed a significant number of human fatalities due to wildlife attacks in the current financial year (2024-25). As of February 28, official data reveals that there have been 57 human fatalities, including 15 deaths from elephant attacks, eight from wild boar attacks, one from a tiger attack, 32 from snake bites, and one caused by a porcupine attack.
The increasing number of human-wildlife conflicts in Kerala is attributed to its vast forest cover, which accounts for 29.1 percent of the state’s total geographical area.
More than one lakh tribal residents live within these forests, alongside nearly five lakh non-tribal residents in nearby settlements and border areas.
(inputs from IANS)