Kannur: The tiger that got stuck in a farm wire fence in Kottiyoor yesterday has died. The tiger, that was tranquilized before it was captured to be taken to the Thrissur zoo died on the way to Kozhikode. It will be buried in Kozhikode after the post-mortem process is completed.

An initial examination of the tiger after it was caged revealed a minor injury to its paw and a loose tooth. It was decided to take the tiger to the Thrissur zoo after a veterinary doctor gave a report that the tiger cannot be released into the forest in this condition and needs to be treated. 

At around 4 AM on Tuesday, a person who went out for rubber tapping saw the tiger with its right hand caught in the barbed wire fence and almost hanging towards the road. Locals and forest officials were immediately informed. The seven-year-old male tiger was trapped in an uninhabited cashew plantation. By 5 AM, rapid response forces, forest department officials and police from Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts reached the spot. 

At around 11 AM on Tuesday, a team of doctors administered the drug once. After making sure that the tiger was sedated, it was put in a net and transferred to a cage in the vehicle. Initially, the forest officials planned to release the tiger to a wildlife sanctuary until it regains its health. But upon protest by locals and people’s representatives, they decided to take the tiger to the zoo.