Forest dept op underway to steer tiger away

Kozhikode: Forest department continued its efforts on Tuesday night to drive a tiger that caused panic at Padikkam Vayal and Chekkalloor areas in Wayanad back to the forest by bursting crackers. The tiger, which entered Padikkam Vayal under north Wayanad forest division on Monday, was tracked to a wooded patch surrounded by Chekkalloor paddy fields on Tuesday.By noon, forest officers located the animal using thermal drones but waited until night to begin their operation to drive the big cat away. Crackers were burst after dark, after which the tiger emerged from the wooded area and fled into the foliage. Fearing it could move closer to residential areas, forest officers used loudspeakers to urge residents to stay indoors at night.Earlier in the day, south Wayanad divisional forest officer Ajith K Raman said the tiger appeared healthy and was likely to return to nearby forest areas. He said it was a five-year-old male tiger listed in the forest department's database as WWS-112, making it a resident of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The nearest Neervaram forest is located just 2km away.Chief wildlife warden Pramod G Krishnan instructed officers to first try driving the tiger back into the forest. If that fails, he asked them to deploy cages and as a last resort, tranquilize and capture the animal. The tiger has not attacked any cattle.Two kumki elephants, Vikas and Bharat, are stationed in the area to assist the operation. Around 80 forest personnel too have been deployed. Prohibitory orders remain in force in 10 wards of Panamaram and Kaniyambetta panchayats and schools and anganwadis are closed as a precaution.