Tribal Individual Fatally Attacked by Tiger in Ooty Forest
Click to start listening
Synopsis
In a tragic turn of events, a 41-year-old tribal man named Kendra Kuttan lost his life to a tiger attack in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. His body was discovered in a forest area following a search initiated by concerned family and locals. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of human-wildlife conflict in regions with high tiger populations.
Key Takeaways
- A 41-year-old tribal man was killed by a tiger in Ooty.
- The victim, Kendra Kuttan, was searching for a missing cow.
- The incident occurred in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.
- Authorities believe fog may have contributed to the attack.
- The tiger population in Tamil Nadu has significantly increased over the years.
Chennai, March 27 (NationPress) In a heartbreaking event, a 41-year-old tribal man was fatally attacked by a tiger in the wooded region of Ooty in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district on Thursday, as reported by officials.
The deceased has been identified as Kendra Kuttan, a member of the Thodar tribal community, who lived in the Kollakode Mandi forest area of the Nilgiris.
Forest officials reported that Kuttan’s partially consumed body was found deep within the forest following a thorough search operation.
Kuttan, who owned several cattle, had entered the forest on Wednesday evening to look for a missing cow.
When he did not return by Thursday morning, his family and local residents notified the Forest Department. A collaborative search operation was initiated by tribal community members and forest officials, culminating in the discovery of his remains.
Authorities suspect that the dense fog in the area may have obscured Kuttan's vision, causing him to accidentally cross paths with the tiger, which led to the tragic incident.
The landscape of the Nilgiris, where Ooty is situated, is recognized for having the highest tiger population in the nation.
This continuous forest area extends into both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, covering regions such as the Periyar–Meghamalai cluster and the Anamalai–Parambikulam complex. According to the 2022 nationwide tiger census conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Tamil Nadu recorded a total of 306 tigers, an increase from 264 in 2018. Over the last twenty years, the tiger population in this region has quadrupled.
Tiger conservation efforts in India have progressed through two major phases. The first phase commenced in the 1970s with the implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act and the creation of protected areas. The second phase, which began around 2005–2006, introduced a landscape-level conservation strategy along with more stringent monitoring systems. In 2018, India's tiger population was estimated at 981, while the 2022 census recorded 824 unique individuals using camera traps and other scientific methodologies.
