Wayanad Tiger Attack: Curfew Imposed As Efforts On To ‘Capture Or Kill’ Animal

A day after a 47-year-old woman was mauled to death by a tiger in Mananthavady area of Wayanad district, curfew has been declared in Pancharakolli area. The police have implemented Section 144 of CrPC prohibiting public gatherings and unnecessary travel. The efforts are also underway to trap the tiger “dead or alive”.

The forest department has deployed trained elephants to aid the search operations.

On the other hand, Kerala government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 11 lakh to the kin of the family. It may be noted that the deceased woman was the aunt of Indian cricketer Minnu Mani.

Protest In Wayanad

Intense protests erupted in the Mananthavady area of Wayanad district on Saturday. Following the funeral of the victim, locals, including tribal women from the estate, gathered outside the forest officials’ base camp, demanding the tiger’s immediate killing rather than its capture. Protesters criticised forest officials for prioritising efforts to tranquilise or cage the animal, despite an order permitting it to be shot if necessary.

Forest officials clarified that Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G Krishnan’s directive emphasised capturing or tranquilising the tiger per the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s guidelines. The order specified shooting the animal only as a last resort. 

Images of the tiger were captured on cameras in the area, and efforts to track and identify the feline are ongoing. Officials are proceeding cautiously to avoid escalating the situation or displacing the tiger to a different location.

A dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Congress party is in effect in the Mananthavady area.

MP Priyanka Presses For ‘Sustainable Solutions’

Taking to X, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Smt. Radha, who was killed by a tiger while harvesting coffee in Pancharakolly, Mananthavady. My heartfelt condolences to her family. There is an immediate need for sustainable solutions to address this pressing issue.”

The incident has drawn attention to human-animal conflicts in Kerala, coming just a day after Forest Minister A. K. Saseendran told the state assembly that such conflicts were declining due to government initiatives.