Sulthan Bathery: Kerala Forest Department to use two Kumki elephants in its effort to locate the tiger that killed a farmer in Wayanad.

The department has brought a kumki elephant named Vikram from Muthanga in search of the tiger that reportedly killed a 36-year-old man while he was collecting grass for his cattle. Meanwhile, another kumki elephant named Bharat will soon join the team assigned to hunt down the man-eater. 

According to the reports, the 13-year-old male tiger (WWL 45) was reportedly seen in the early hours of Wednesday, ventured into areas inhabited by humans, and fled with chickens from a poultry farm.

Forest Minister A K Saseendran on Thursday said the tiger responsible for killing a man in Wayanad a few days ago has been identified as a 13-year-old male tiger (WWL 45), listed in the forest department's database.

He said steps have been initiated to shoot and kill the animal, which has been classified as a man-eater.

The incident involved the discovery of Vakeri resident Prajeesh's half-eaten body near a forest area in Kalpetta, Wayanad, on December 9.
He is suspected to have been killed by the tiger while collecting grass for his cattle.

Locals alleged the tiger was a man-eater, prompting demands for the authorities to gun down the big cat. (With Inputs from PTI)