Thiruvananthapuram, March 18 (NationPress) The recent shooting of a tiger in Kerala's Idukki district on Monday has sparked a wave of inquiries, particularly after Kottayam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) N. Rajesh justified the action by citing self-defence. Experts argue that such a drastic measure can only be justified if the animal has been officially labeled as vermin.

There exists a distinct protocol for classifying any animal as vermin, and the ongoing discussions highlight the increasing incidents of man-animal conflict in the state, which have resulted in numerous fatalities. This raises further questions about whether there are specific guidelines applicable to forest officials.

As per regulations, an animal can only be eliminated if it has been designated as vermin. If an ordinary citizen were to take similar action under the guise of self-defence, they would face legal consequences.

It remains uncertain if any legal action will be taken against the Rapid Response Team (RRT), which had been active in the vicinity of the Gramby Estate for the past six days.

On Monday, the RRT's plan to capture the tiger that was causing alarm in the area faltered.

The objective was to tranquilize the tiger, and on that day, the team successfully located the elusive big cat within a tea estate.

However, the RRT's decision to fire a tranquilizer shot has faced backlash, as these shots are typically administered from a safe distance. Visuals indicate that on this occasion, the shot was taken from close range.

After the first tranquilizer dart was fired, the already injured tiger reacted aggressively, prompting the team members to discharge their firearms, ultimately leading to the animal's collapse.

Following this, the RRT officials wrapped the tiger in a net and transported it to the Thekkady wildlife reserve area, but it was soon reported that the tiger had succumbed.

The RRT is expected to release a post-mortem report shortly, which will clarify how many bullets struck the tiger's body.

In defense of their actions, the forest officials stated that they used a 12-bore pump-action gun, asserting that typically, such a firearm would not be lethal to a healthy animal. However, due to the tiger's weakened state, the shot is believed to have resulted in its demise.

It remains to be seen if this justification will hold up under scrutiny.