Wayanad Tiger Attack: Authorities Impose Curfew As Effort Underway To Cull Man-Eater

Following a fatal tiger attack, a curfew has been imposed in parts of Mananthavady Municipality of Wayanad.

A curfew has been imposed in parts of Wayanad following fatal attack by a tiger.

Source : Unsplash

A curfew has been imposed in certain areas of Mananthavady Municipality in Kerala's Wayanad after the fatal tiger attack on a 47-year-old woman. 

The tiger has been declared a man-eater and is scheduled for culling. 

The curfew, imposed on Sunday, applies to Division 1 (Pancharakolli), Division 2 (Pilakavu), and Division 36 (Chirakkara) from 6 am on January 27 for 48 hours, according to an official release, reported PTI. 

All schools, Anganwadis, Madrasas, and tuition centres in these divisions will remain closed.

Students from these areas who attend educational institutions elsewhere have been exempted from attending classes on January 27 and 28, as per the release. 

Those who have to appear for the PSC exam or exams at educational institutions have been asked to contact their division councillor to make necessary arrangements.

The move comes in the wake of the tragic incident on Friday morning where a woman named Radha, belonging to a Scheduled Caste community was mauled to death by the tiger while plucking coffee at the Priyadarshini Estate in Mananthavady village.

On Sunday, Forest Minister A K Saseendran announced that the tiger had been declared a man-eater following a high-level meeting at the district collectorate. The announcement was made after assessing its repeated attacks and the increasing threat to human lives, Minister Saseendran said.

Beat Forest Officer Jayasurya, a member of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) deployed for patrolling duty in the area was also attacked by the same tiger on Sunday that killed Radha. 

It is the first time in the state that a tiger has been declared a man-eater, Saseendran said. 

To minimise the risk posed by the tiger, steps have been taken to clear undergrowth in nearby areas, and surveillance in the region will be intensified. 100 new cameras will be installed in Wayanad as part of enhanced wildlife management while 400 AI cameras will be set up across the state by March 31 to strengthen monitoring and prevent wildlife-related attacks, Minister Saseendran said.