Residents block highway alleging official apathy in capturing elusive tiger in Wayanad

Residents under the aegis of an all-party action council took out a march to the forest range office at Chethalayalm and blocked the Pulpally-Sulthan Bathery State highway on Wednesday in protest against the alleged apathy of the Forest department in capturing an elusive tiger that triggered panic among residents of Surabhikkavala and Thannitheruvu near Pulpally under the South Wayanad Forest Division. A goat, owned by Sunil of Palamattom near Surabhikkavala, was reportedly killed in a tiger attack around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, which provoked the residents. Later, forest officials held discussions with the organisation’s leaders and agreed to set up a cage and surveillance cameras to watch the movements of the big cat. “We have set up a cage and installed four surveillance cameras in the area in the evening,” Chethalayath forest range officer Abdul Samad told The Hindu.