Chennai: Masanagudi area in Tamil Nadu is tense with the villagers not coming out of their homes after a killer tiger which, according to the villagers has killed four people and 12 cattle, is still on the prowl.
The Chief Wild Life Warden of Tamil Nadu, Shekar Kumar Neeraj has already ordered to shoot the tiger and five teams have been deployed in the area but the tiger is elusive.
Sankara Subramanian, a local businessman at Gudalur who is running a homestay, said: “The tiger is still on the prowl and from Theppakadu check-post, forest rangers and police have restricted entry and this is affecting business. We appeal to the forest department to kill the tiger immediately.”
The tiger code-named MTR 23 was spotted on Saturday noon by one of the five teams but could not be targeted. Forest officials are however confident that the tiger would be either captured or killed soon.
A senior officer at Madumalai Tiger Reserve told IANS, “Drones are pressed into search operation but the fog and heavy rains are an issue. We have commenced search in the morning as after sunset, no operation is possible according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines.”
Forest department has also placed live baits in areas of the movement of the tiger and is expecting to spot it immediately. A ten-member elite team from Megamalai and Coimbatore has already joined operation from Sunday morning.
Masanagudi residents have called for urgent measures to kill the tiger. Umesh Chandran, a local farmer, and trader from Kerala who is staying in the area for business purposes said: “Villagers are fearing for their lives and they want the animal to be shot dead immediately. They are even ready to engage sharpshooters who have already approached the forest department, things will get out of hand if the department doesn’t find a solution soon.”
Meanwhile, the last rites of Basavana 82, who was killed by the tiger were held on Saturday and people protested at the funeral site also.
The tourism circuit of Gudalur and surrounding areas have also been hit by the presence of the tiger and the movement of forces but with the tiger still remaining elusive, local people are disappointed.
Activists have, meanwhile, moved the Madras High Court against the forest department which is trying to hunt down the tiger. A UP-based animal activist Sangeeta Arora and Chennai-based People for Cattle in India (PFCI) moved the court on Saturday against killing the tiger code-named MT23.
