Elusive tiger continues to evade capture in Kerala’s Kannur district

A tiger that was spotted near a rubber plantation recently at Adakkathodu in Kelakam panchayat in Kannur district of Kerala continues to evade capture by the Forest department.

A tiger that was spotted near a rubber plantation recently at Adakkathodu in Kelakam panchayat in Kannur district of Kerala continues to evade capture by the Forest department.

Despite being located on March 17 (Sunday) by the department personnel, the tiger managed to escape after attempts to tranquilise the animal failed. It disappeared into the dense vegetation of the terrain, frustrating search efforts that went on late into the night.

A team of over 60 forest personnel, including those from the Kannur forest division, Aralam wildlife sanctuary and a rapid response team from Wayanad, persisted with the search operations on March 18 (Monday). The challenging terrain and thick foliage hindered the efforts, though drones equipped with thermal imaging technology were deployed wherever feasible to track the tiger’s movements.

Kottiyoor range officer Sudheer Neroth confirmed the discovery of the tiger’s pug mark a few meters from its last sighting, indicating that the animal had not strayed far. Plans are afoot to capture the animal using tranquilisers.

Meanwhile, the district administration has issued alerts and extended prohibition orders in the area.

However, some local residents have criticised the Forest department for allegedly not acting promptly to tranquilise the seemingly weak tiger when it was first sighted.