Roaming tiger spreads panic in Sulthan Bathery

KALPETTA: A roaming tiger which killed two domestic animals by entering the human habitat created panic among the people  residing along the interstate highway of Sulthan Bathery- Ooty road near Cheeral, Sulthan Bathery,  on Friday.   The enraged residents blocked the highway for three hours up to 11 a.m. demanding immediate seizure of the tiger.     It killed a buffalo on Thursday  and a   cow on Friday in the same locality.  The road blockade  ended in the afternoon when the  forest officials assured the public that the animal would be caught and rehabilitated.

The chief wildlife warden ordered to trap the tiger  or hunt it down  through tranquilizers. Though a group of forest personnel, including Wayanad Wildlife Warden N.T. Sajan and wildlife veterinary expert Dr Arun Zacharia,   followed the tiger with darting guns, they had to wind up the day’s operations  after eight hours. Dr Arun Zacharia told DC that apart from a cage set up the other day, an additional cage also was laid with the carcass of the cattle on Friday. “Though we had chances to hit, we could not  as there was a mob around,”  he added.   It may end up in any traps during night.  One person was injured when he ran after seeing the tiger.

BJP calls  hartal

Sulthan Bathery:  The BJP Sulthan Bathery taluk committee called  a dawn-to-dusk hartal on Saturday  in the Sulthan Bathery taluk in protest against the lethargy of forest department in ending the recurring animal attacks.