20 camera traps to monitor MTR tiger

NILGIRIS: Twenty camera traps have been installed at Linebody tribal settlement near Theppakadu in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) to track the tiger which had attacked an anti-poaching watcher on Wednesday afternoon. The tiger attacked K Bomman when he was perambulating the forest, forest dept sources said adding no other incident of tiger-human conflict has been reported in the area.

Fifteen camera traps were installed on Wednesday evening, but tiger movement was not recorded on any of them till Thursday morning. Following this, five more cameras were installed. Moreover, a group of staff from MTR patrolled the surroundings of the settlement with the help of two Kumki elephants, but they were also unable to spot the animal. 

Senior officials have engaged the staff to check on the health condition of the tiger after many tribal people claimed that the animal is targeting easy prey like cows and goats.

Leopard attacks woman
A woman was attacked by a leopard in Puthurvayal near Gudalur on Wednesday. According to sources, R Suseela, a resident of Puthurvayal was travelling on her two-wheeler, when the leopard attacked her. Passersby took her to a hospital.

"Due to the frequent leopard movement, we have advised people not to use the stretch between Marthoma Nagar to Puthurvayal for the next 10 days from 7 pm to 7 am," said a forest official.