Self Defence Shot Kills Tiger That Terrorised Vandiperiyar

IT did not go as planned. The forest department's attempt to dart and capture the elusive tiger that had been terrorising residential areas in Vandiperiyar panchayat for the past three weeks concluded on an unexpected note on Monday after a shot fired in self-defence ended up mortally wounding the aged and weak animal.

- NEJMA SULAIMAN @Idukki

The incident took place in the morning. An eight-member forest team led by R Anuraj, the assistant forest veterinary officer of Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), and assistant forest veterinary officer (Kottayam division) N Anumod, under the guidance of wildlife veterinarian Arun Zachariah and chief wildlife warden Pramod G Krishnan, went to the location in Arnakkal estate area where the tiger was last spotted using drones.

The team, armed with guns, tranquillisers and protection gears, had been planning to dart the tiger which, Anuraj said, had avoided the three cages, including squeeze cages at three different locations, that the forest department had set up after it was first sighted three weeks ago.