Forest department personnel in Kerala have intensified the search for a male tiger that escaped from the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Despite sustained efforts for more than 20 days, the animal has not been trapped.
The tiger was earlier captured in a cage after it killed livestock in the Marayoor area near Munnar. After being fitted with a radio collar, it was released into the Periyar reserve in March and was monitored by officials.
Last month, the tiger reportedly slipped out of the sanctuary and the radio-collar signal also went missing. A special team was formed to trace it, and following an emergency meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s monitoring committee, arrangements were made to capture it again using cages.
On April 28, a radio-collar signal was detected near a tea estate area close to Thangamalai Moolakkayam in Idukki district. A team led by Assistant Field Director Lakshmi camped in the area, placed cages at more than three locations, and deployed armed forest guards within a 100-metre perimeter.
However, the tiger has not entered the cages and the signal has again gone silent, complicating tracking efforts. Officials are monitoring whether it is moving near nearby settlements or has returned deeper into the forest, and residents have been warned not to step out at night.
