Tribal woman mauled by a tiger in Wayanad

Thiruvananthapuram: Protests erupted in Mananthavady, in the Wayanad district of Kerala, following the tragic death of a 45-year-old Adivasi woman who was killed by a tiger at Priyadarshini Estate in Panchara Kolli on Friday.

The victim, identified as Radha, had gone to pick coffee on a private estate when she was mauled by the tiger. Her death prompted significant protests from the local community.

Radha's body was discovered by the Kerala police’s Thunderbolt team, which was conducting a routine anti-Maoist search operation in the area. The body was found partially eaten by the tiger.

O.R. Kelu, the SC/ST Welfare Minister, rushed to the scene but faced anger from the residents. Some locals even clashed with the police, voicing their frustration over the indifference of local forest authorities.

Minister Kelu stated that the tiger was considered a man-eater and announced that orders had been issued to shoot it.

The forest department has decided to shoot and kill the man-eating tiger if efforts to capture it fail. Forest Minister A. Saseendran confirmed this action plan. Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan stated that field officers have been instructed to locate and capture the tiger.

Additional cages will be deployed to assist with the operation, and more veterinary experts and members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) will be mobilized. The Forest Department will also intensify patrols along the Bandipur-Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary corridor.

The minister met with the victim's family and community representatives, assuring them of government assistance. A government job will be provided to one member of Radha's family, with demands that her son should receive the position.

Kelu assured them that he would advocate for this and work toward a favorable decision from the government. Radha’s husband is currently employed as a forest watcher.

According to existing protocols, the family will receive a compensation package totaling Rs 11 lakh, which includes Rs 10 lakh and an additional Rs 1 lakh. Of this amount, Rs 5 lakh will be disbursed immediately, as stated by Minister Kelu.

Following the minister's announcements, the locals agreed to call off the protests, allowing Radha’s body to be transported to Mananthavady Medical College for post-mortem examination.

In the meantime, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran clarified that the body was discovered during routine inspections conducted by the forest department. He emphasized that orders had been given to shoot the tiger, which would either be captured in a cage or killed.

The community had previously reached out to the forest department, urging them to take further action to address the growing presence of wild elephants and tigers in the area, stressing the need for better demarcation between the forest and inhabited regions. However, no action had been taken on their requests.

An RRT team will be appointed to address this issue, and a guard will be assigned to the area. Additionally, cages will be set up at the site on Friday to attempt to capture the tiger. The delays in constructing fencing will be expedited to strengthen the defences along the forest boundary. These delays were attributed to the tender process; however, measures will be implemented to facilitate fencing under the leadership of the People's Committee, circumventing the tender process.