Tiger Suspected in Two Gudalur Deaths Evades Capture for 22 Days, Says Minister
Tamil Nadu Forest Minister R.V. Ranjithkumar said on Friday that the Forest Department and the State government are working to capture a male tiger suspected of having killed two people at O'Valley in Gudalur, in the Nilgiris district.
The Minister was speaking to journalists in Gudalur after visiting the families of those affected in the region and distributing essential supplies. He also received petitions from local residents during the visit. He said about 50 families had submitted requests for financial assistance, and that these would be fulfilled.
Mr. Ranjithkumar said the Forest Department had come close to trapping the tiger on a few occasions, but the animal had managed to evade capture for 22 days so far. He said he was confident it would be captured within 10 to 20 days, and appealed to local residents for patience.
The animal is suspected to be behind the two deaths reported at O'Valley last month. The Minister visited the homes of both victims and offered his condolences to their families.
He said the government had taken several steps, including the allocation of ₹20 crore for integrated measures, to address problems arising from negative human-animal interactions in the State. He added that efforts to safeguard the lives of local residents — including arranging transport for schoolchildren — would continue until the tiger is captured.
Gudalur lies in the Nilgiris district, where inhabited areas, farmland and tea estates sit close to protected forests and wildlife corridors. The Nilgiris landscape, which adjoins the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, has seen repeated instances of human-wildlife conflict in recent years.
Tigers, elephants and other wild animals move across this landscape between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, and sightings near villages and estates are reported regularly. Such proximity is at the centre of long-standing demands from residents for faster relief, better protection and quicker response from the authorities.
Families of people killed in attacks by wild animals are eligible for financial assistance under State government schemes, and the Minister said the petitions received on Friday would be addressed.
The operation to trace and capture the tiger is continuing, and the Minister said protective measures for residents would remain in place until the animal is secured.
