Villagers block traffic on State Highway in Wayanad

Villagers blocked vehicular traffic for hours on the Mananthavady-Sulthan Bathery State Highway at Cee Cee near Sulthan Bathery, on Sunday morning, seeking protection from wild animal attacks.

The protesters carried the carcass of goats killed reportedly in tiger attacks the previous night. Four goats owned by Mercy at Choorimalakkunnu near Kolagappara and three goats of Surendran at Aavayal in Meenangadi grama panchayat were reportedly killed on Saturday night.

Three goats of Ragahavan at Eucalykavala near Moonnakkuzhy were also killed reportedly in a tiger attack in the early hours of Saturday

Travellers were stranded for nearly two hours following the protest.

The protesters said the big cat killed 20 domestic animals in various parts of the local body under the South Wayanad Forest Division.

Later, people’s representatives, including P.A. Vinayan, president of Meenangadi grama panchayat, C. Assianar, Sulthan Bathery Block panchayat, and Samsahd Marakkar, president, Wayanad district panchayat, held talks with senior forest officials and villagers.

The officials assured them that they would use drones to spot the elusive tiger, expedite steps to disburse compensation, and more front-line forest staff would be deployed to capture the animal and intensify patrolling.

A month ago, the Forest department officials had set up 25 surveillance cameras and five cages in different parts of the area to capture the tiger on the prowl.