Straying tiger trapped after repeated livestock attacks in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta

An adult tiger that had been repeatedly attacking livestock near Kumbalathamon in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district was trapped by forest officials using a cage trap. The animal will undergo medical examination before authorities decide on its release or captivity.

Pathanamthitta (Kerala): An adult tiger that had frequently strayed into human settlements and attacked domestic animals was trapped by the forest department in this district on Monday, officials said.

According to forest officials, the presence of the tiger was reported in Kumbalathamon near Vadasserikara here over the past two months following repeated attacks on domestic animals.

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Forest Department personnel later installed camera traps and confirmed the presence of the straying tiger.

Officials said the tiger had killed buffaloes, dogs and goats belonging to farms and residences in Kumbalathamon, which is located close to the forest area.

On Sunday, a goat was killed by the tiger, and its carcass was found at an isolated spot near the forest, an official said.

Subsequently, forest officials laid a cage trap with the carcass used as bait near the location where the goat was found dead.

When the tiger returned to consume the carcass, it was trapped in the cage in the early hours of Monday, officials said.

The captured tiger will be shifted to a nearby forest station for a medical examination.

A decision will later be taken on whether to release the animal back into the wild or keep it in captivity, an official said.

Officials clarified that the tiger was not involved in any attacks on humans, though residents in the area were panicked due to frequent incidents of livestock killings.