Coimbatore: Tiger strays into human habitat in Ooty, kills cow

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Tension prevailed at Indu Nagar in the town after a tiger was spotted with its kill in the area on Thursday morning.
Around 8am, a few residents of Indu Nagar spotted the tiger standing next to the carcass of a cow behind a tea shop. They immediately alerted the forest department. Some anxious onlookers also took a video of the anxious tiger pacing around the kill. The video showed the back portion of the carcass ruptured.
In a few minutes, the tiger sauntered back into the reserve forest, located 200m from Indu Nagar.
"The tiger might have killed the cow on Wednesday night and returned in the morning to eat it. Tigers don't eat the prey immediately after it is killed. They wait for petrification of the carcass for easy digestion," district forest officer Sachin B Dukaram said.
"Two camera traps have been installed in the location to monitor the movement of the tiger," he added.
He said, "A team comprising 10 staff members from the forest department has been formed to watch the behaviour of the tiger for a few days. After studying its behaviour, we can take further action."
"The forests in the Nilgiris are in a state of fragmentation. Hence, while crossing one patch of forest land to another, wild animals tend to cross the human habitats," Dukaram said. He said, "Indu Nagar is located just 200 meters away from a reserve forest area. Field staff of the forest department spot a tiger in the area at least once in two months".
"This is not the first time a tiger has strayed into Indu Nagar. A few months ago, a tiger was found roaming in the area during day time," a resident of Indu Nagar said.
A month ago, it was reported that a cow was killed by a tiger in the area.
Residents in the area have been asked not to venture out in the late evenings and night hours, he said.