Order issued to ‘hunt’ man-eater tiger T23 in Nilgiris

Tamil Nadu Chief Wildlife Warden Shekar Kumar Niraj issued an order to hunt ‘T23’, a tiger, which is said to have killed four persons so far, including a 55-year-old man on Friday, in Nilgiris district after concluding that the big cat has “become very dangerous” to human life in the area.

The order was issued after a week-long effort by the Forest Department to catch the tiger alive failed. The Forest Department came under severe pressure from locals since Friday morning after the news of the tiger fatally attacking its fourth target spread like wildfire. Villagers in Masinagudi and Gudalur complain that the tiger has been wreaking havoc in the area.

“Today, as per the report received from Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve through WhatsApp and other media, it has now been informed that the tiger MDT 23 Has killed one person in Masinagudi area today. The said tiger MDT 23 has clearly become dangerous to human lives in the area,” Niraj said in his order.

He ordered that the entire operation be “carried out meticulously” under the supervision of the Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Udhagamandalam. “The entire operation shall be photographed and video recorded and a detailed report should be submitted soon after completion of the operation,” the order said.

The decision to hunt the “problematic tiger” was taken under Section 11 (1) (a) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The section says the Chief Wildlife Warden may, if he is satisfied that any wild animal specified in Schedule I has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery, by order in writing and stating the reasons therefore, permit any person to hunt such animal or cause such animal to be hunted.

The forest department launched an operation to capture the ‘T23’ tiger on September 24 after the big cat killed a 56-year-old man. Special teams were formed for the capture of the tiger and five cages were placed in vital locations.

“The tiger has been eluding all efforts of the department for its capture and continued preying on the livestock in the areas of Devan Estate in Gudalur division. The presence of thick tea bushes, inclement weather, challenging terrain and disturbances by the local public had rendered the capture operation very difficult,” Niraj noted in his order.

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