Tiger shot in Kerala's Gramby after attempting to attack forest officials during capture attempt
Idukki, Kerala: A tiger, which had been causing panic in the Gramby estate area of Vandiperiyar for the past few days, was shot dead on Monday after it tried to attack forest officials. The tiger had strayed from nearby forests and killed several domestic animals, including a cow and a pet dog.
On Monday morning, the authorities re-launched a mission to tranquillise the tiger. It was found in a tea estate, where wildlife personnel led by veterinarians Anuraj and Anumod tranquillised it. However, when they approached the animal, it lunged at them. Fearing for their safety, the officials fired and killed the tiger. Its body was later transported to Thekkady.
Before this operation, the tiger had been a source of fear for locals. On Sunday, forest officials had tried to capture it, but they couldn't find it. The tiger’s injuries suggested it couldn’t travel far, so authorities were hopeful it would be found soon. Sniffer dogs and drones were used to track the animal.
Earlier, on Monday, the tiger killed a cow owned by Narayanan and a pet dog belonging to Balamurugan near Aranakkal estate. A video showed the tiger walking away with a pet, while an onlooker tried to scare it off. This led the authorities to restart their operation.
Tracking the tiger
The tiger had first been sighted on February 23 in Ponnagar, Vallakkadavu. It appeared again on March 2 at an estate owned by the Poabs Group, where it attacked domestic animals near Gramby Government LP School.
Despite efforts using drones and a cage, the tiger managed to evade capture. On Sunday, forest officials brought in a sniffer dog, Jeffy, from Thekkady to help track the animal, but it remained elusive. The search was called off around 6 pm.
On Monday, the tiger resurfaced at Aranakkal estate, attacking more animals. After a tranquilliser shot, the tiger attempted to attack officials. To protect themselves, they fired at the animal, ending the operation.