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The tiger that has been terrorising the residents of Vandikkadavu in the Wayanad district was captured early on Friday after a harrowing week that saw the death of a local tribal leader.
The predator, a 14-year-old male identified as WWL 48, was lured into a cage set up by the Forest Department at around 1.30 a.m.
The capture follows the killing of Maran aka Kooman, 65, the head of the Devargadda Kattunayaka Unnati tribal hamlet. The attack occurred on Saturday morning while Maran was collecting firewood along the banks of the Kannarampuzha river, near the Kurichiyadu forest range. He was accompanied by his sister, Kulli, who narrowly managed to escape.
Following the incident, the Forest Department deployed cages and monitored the area using camera traps. Wildlife officials have since confirmed, through stripe pattern matching, that this specific tiger was responsible for the fatal attack.
Owing to the tiger’s advanced age and its history of human conflict, the department has confirmed that the big cat will not be released back into the wild. It has been transported to a specialised conservation and care centre in Kuppadi, where it will remain under permanent observation.
Published – December 26, 2025 11:44 am IST
