Woman killed in tiger attack at Wayanad; Deceased is cricketer Minnu Mani's relative

Thiruvananthapuram: A woman was killed in a tiger's attack at Wayanad in Kerala on Friday. 

The incident had triggered strong protest by local people who are demanding a lasting solution to wild animal attacks.

Two persons were killed in tiger attacks in Wayanad in 2023. Around four deaths in wild animal attacks were reported in Kerala in the last one month.

Radha, 45, a farmer at a coffee plantation at Pancharakolli near Mananthavady was killed. Her body was found by around 11 am. A portion of her body was suspected to be consumed by the animal. 

Radha is a close relative of Indian cricketer Minnu Mani, who hails from Wayanad. She urged in a social media post that the tiger should be captured soon and give peace of mind to the people of the locality. 

Condoling the death of Radha, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a social media post that there was an immediate need for sustainable solutions to address this pressing issue.

Agitated local people, including women, blocked scheduled caste and scheduled tribe welfare minister O R Kelu, who is Mananthavady MLA. They were demanding that the tiger should be killed. Despite repeated requests the forest authorities were not taking any effective steps to address the wild animal menace of the region, they allege.

Kerala forest minister A K Saseendran said that the man-eater tiger would be shot down. Chief wildlife warden will be issuing orders in this regard, he said.

Sources said that in case efforts to dart or trap the tiger become futile, it would be shot.

The scare of the people aggravated further as the tiger was spotted by some local people in the region in the evening. The forest department officials already started setting up cages to trap the tiger.