Tiger spotted outside Ooty town

UDHAGAMANDALAM:

An adult tiger was spotted just outside Udhagamandalam town on Thursday after it killed a cow that was grazing in the area.

According to officials, the tiger was filmed with the carcass of a cow outside Udhagamandalam town by local residents. Videos of the tiger standing over the kill were circulated on social media. Forest Department officials were informed of the incident.

K. Saravanakumar, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Nilgiris division), said this was the first cattle that had been killed by the tiger, and that they suspect that it may be the same animal that was spotted near a water body a few weeks ago, and also at a village bordering the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and a few km from Udhagamandalam town.

Mr. Saravanakumar said there had not been any other negative interactions reported due to the tiger in the past, and that camera traps would be placed around the area where the tiger killed the cattle. The situation would be monitored by a team of 10 Rapid Response Team personnel over the coming days.

“If any further negative interactions occur, then we will look at trying to capture and relocate the animal or chasing it away from the area,” said a higher official in the department.

The sighting of the tiger indicates that the population of the endangered species continues to grow in the Nilgiris, state conservationists, adding that tigers are now populating forest areas bordering human habitations as the carrying capacities of their core habitats are nearing a saturation point. “This puts an onus on the Forest Department to closely monitor the situation and ensure that people do not get caught up in interactions with tigers,” said a Nilgiris-based conservationist.