Tiger operations continue for 17th day in the Nilgiris

Efforts to capture a male tiger that is suspected to have killed two persons in O’Valley in Gudalur entered the 17th day on Sunday.

Forest Department officials said that on Saturday, a drill on the procedures and operations that are to be followed for the safe capture of the tiger while ensuring the safety of local residents was undertaken. They also checked 170 camera traps set up around the area and those set up in Naduvattam in the Nilgiris forest division and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to check for the movement of the tiger.

The 13 trap cages that have been set up were fitted with camouflage to conceal them and to entice the tiger into entering them. “A consultation meeting was also held under the leadership of the District Forest Officer with a special team comprising Forest Veterinary Officers, Assistant Conservators of Forests, Forest Range Officers, field staff, the Rapid Response Team, and the Forest Elite Force. The meeting discussed the next course of action to capture the tiger,” the press release said.

Meanwhile, party members from the DMK distributed, on behalf of the Nilgiris MP, A.Raja, one month’s worth of groceries, including rice to plantation-worker families in the area, most of whom have had to skip work due to the operation to capture the tiger.

The DMK said the Forest Department has informally advised local residents to not go for tea leaf picking or farming work in the area till the completion of the operation, resulting in the families having to skip work and lose their daily wages.