Man-eater tiger found dead in Wayanad forest
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The carcass of the tiger found in a Wayanad forest on Friday
Wayanad: A tiger responsible for the tragic death of Radha, the aunt of Indian cricketer Minnu Mani, in Kerala’s Wayanad district, was found dead in the forest on Monday, officials confirmed.
The tiger had killed the 45-year-old tribal woman in the Mananthavady area on Friday, January 24. Following this, the Kerala government declared the tiger a man-eater and issued orders to eliminate it.
Forest veterinarian Dr. Arun Zachariah reported on Monday morning that the tiger was located around midnight. A tranquilizer was fired, but the animal was later found dead around 2:30 a.m. near a house. Dr. Zachariah confirmed injuries on the tiger’s neck, indicating that it had died due to a conflict with another tiger. “It is beyond doubt that the dead tiger is the same one responsible for the woman’s death,” he stated.
Preliminary findings suggested that the tiger, aged approximately seven, succumbed to wounds likely sustained during fights with other animals in the forest. The exact cause of death will be determined after a post-mortem examination.
Deepa, a senior forest official leading the operation to track and neutralize the tiger, also verified that footage from around 38 cameras confirmed the dead tiger was the same one that killed Radha.
News of the tiger's death greatly relieved the villagers, especially children. “We can now go out and play,” young kids exclaimed as they celebrated the end of the threat. Local residents gathered in large numbers on the streets, expressing unity and shouting slogans to mark the resolution of the crisis.
Radha, the victim of the attack, was the wife of a temporary Forest Watcher and the aunt of Minnu Mani, Kerala’s first female cricketer to represent India. In light of the tragedy, the state government announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹11 lakh, ₹5 lakh of which has already been handed over. Radha’s son has also been assured a job in the forest department.
This incident marks the eighth fatal tiger attack in Wayanad over the past decade, highlighting the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in the region.
With IANS inputs