A tiger released by the Forest Department into the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady has been straying into human habitations in the Vandiperiyar villages for the past two months, posing a serious threat to local tea plantation workers.

The tiger was originally captured in Munnar and released into the deep forests of Gavi within the PTR on April 2. According to officials, the big cat has been camping in the tea plantations of Vandiperiyar since the last week of April.

In the latest incident, the tiger attacked a cow owned by Vandiperiyar panchayat member Mathiyazhakan on Friday evening.

The family discovered the injuries after the cow returned home following the attack. Additionally, a group of labourers working in a tea plantation at Granby sighted the tiger on Saturday morning around 9.30 a.m.

Following the cattle attack and the direct sighting, panicked plantation workers are now afraid to report for work or travel through the area.

Workers stated that the presence of the animal poses a severe security threat to residents in the Granby, Thankamala, and Arnakkal areas of Vandiperiyar.

Following the latest sightings, the Forest Department has initiated a drone inspection to locate the big cat.

Chief Conservator of Forests D.K. Vinod Kumar stated that the department will launch a special drive to tranquillize and capture the animal. “The tiger is camping in the area, and it is suspected to be the same animal that attacked the cow on Friday evening. The Forest Department has already set up cages, but the animal has not entered them. We have now decided to conduct a mission to dart the tiger,” Mr. Kumar said.

The official added that abandoned tea plantations filled with wild bushes are a major hurdle for the forest department’s operations. “When we chase the animal, it retreats into the thick bushes and stays there. The Forest Department has already submitted a letter to the Idukki Collector demanding action to clear the wild growth. We will take up the matter again,” the official said.

The tiger initially stayed in the Thankamala area in late April before briefly retreating into the forest. It returned to the Granby area on May 14 and has since roamed through Sathram, Vallakkadavu, Arnakkal, and Granby.