KOZHIKODE: A day after forest department raised hopes about the impending capture of the injured tiger at Kurukkanmoola in Wayanad by claiming that its approximate location has been determined, the intensive search operations – conducted at the identified forest stretch on Sunday – failed as the animal which had been evading capture for 21 days was not sighted.
Chief conservator of forests, North Zone (Kannur), DK Vinod Kumar said, “Since no cattle lifting was reported in the area in recent days, the possibility is that the injured tiger could have become weak and it could either be lying inside some bush or would have gone inside the forest.”
However, he added that the department has been able to rule out the presence of the tiger in private lands outside the forests. He said that from morning till evening search teams swept the forest at Olliyot, Ondayangadi and the adjoining stretch of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, but there have been no direct sightings.
Though search teams could find some pug marks, they were found to be not fresh. All camera traps have been deployed in the reserve forest stretch.
Meanwhile, veterinary surgeon from Tamil Nadu forest department Dr KK Ragesh too has joined the team of tranquilizing experts headed by Dr. Arun Zachariah.
Meanwhile, UDF has warned that it will launch strong protests if the state government fails to provide protection to the lives and property of residents from the threat posed by the tiger. UDF leaders said that following the tiger scare in the area, farmers are not able to harvest coffee and paddy which are ready for harvest.
UDF’s Mananthavady constituency committee will hold a Satyagraha at Gandhi Park on Monday demanding immediate capture of the tiger while seeking an enhancement in the compensation for domestic animals killed by the tiger.
