Tiger Scare Grips Kerala Village; Farmers Protest With Carcasses Of Dead Cows

Tiger scare gripped a forest fringe village in Kerala's high-range Wayanad district where farmers and local people blocked a busy road on Sunday morning carrying carcasses of cows that had been killed by the big cat.

Despite continuing efforts by the Wildlife Department to cage the animal, the tiger killed two more cows owned by a farmer at Kenichira village in the wee hours. It had earlier killed two other cows in the hamlet.

Squatting on the busy road, the protesters raised slogans and demanded to ensure protection for their lives and livelihood. They also displayed carcasses of dead cows on a vehicle.

They wanted immediate intervention of the Wildlife Department to tranquilise the tiger and capture it at the earliest.

"The tiger should be shot dead. The Wildlife Protection Act should be amended incorporating timely changes," one of the protesters demanded.

A local woman said they were scared to send their children to school and visit neighbouring houses due to the constant presence of the big cat in the area.

As the protest continued, senior Wildlife Department officials rushed to the area and assured the villagers that necessary steps would be taken immediately to tranquilise the animal.

Steps have already been initiated to bring the rapid response team personnel to the area as part of the mission to capture the animal, they said.

Forest officials also said Rs 30,000 would be given as an advance of the solatium to the farmers who had lost cows in the tiger attack.

The rest of the amount would be handed over to them after completing the post-mortem procedures of the carcasses of the cows, they added.