Approached by way of lush inexperienced rubber plantations dotted with farm yards, Bathanimala is an outpost that straddles the border between the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) and Perunad grama panchayat in Ranni. Barring a number of stray incidents, people and wild animals coexisted peacefully on this village till now. But the previous couple of months have been completely different.
According to villagers, an aged tiger has developed a behavior of lifting cattle from the cattle sheds right here within the cowl of the evening. In a span of simply 40 days, the animal has feasted on three cows and a goat. With the animal seems to be making a preventing stand, the villages have been below fixed concern that it might finally assault people.
First time in 6 many years
Nedumannil Jose, a livestock farmer, was in for a impolite shock not too long ago when he noticed the tiger dragging his goat. “I was rushing to the stable at the backyard on hearing a commotion outside. It has been nearly six decades since I have settled here but this is for the first time that I witnessed a tiger here,” he mentioned.
As horrifying tales of the animal maintain pouring in, the peace and tranquillity of this sparsely populated nook of Pathanamthitta has been shattered. All roads throughout this village, particularly these meandering by way of plantations and forests, get abandoned by night and individuals are locking up their cattle in protected shelters.
The forest officers, in the meantime, have been on their toes to push back the assaults and has positioned a cage inside a rubber plantation right here, apart from establishing digital camera traps at a number of places. A 24-member particular job power has been deployed to watch the animal’s motion, which has been tenting within the space, and a chat group has been fashioned by together with all of the villagers to replace on the animal’s presence.
Easy prey
“The tiger looks aged and suffers from some dental problems. As it is unable to hunt wild animals, it is now looking for for easy prey in the village,” mentioned Jayakumar Sharma, Divisional Forest Officer, Ranni.
The intense undergrowth within the deserted rubber plantations right here, in response to the official, has provided the tiger a perfect habitat outdoors the wild. “The animal appears to have sensed the presence of some trap and hence remains evasive. Accordingly, efforts are being made to naturalise the cage by camouflaging it using shrubs and foliage,” the official added.
Source: www.thehindu.com