Overview
- Forest officials declared a tiger a man-eater after two men were found killed in Lauriston/O'Valley, with the latest body discovered on August 23 and investigators citing consumption of body parts and similar pugmarks at both sites.
- The Tamil Nadu Forest Department escalated a multi-pronged hunt that includes thermal drones, 50 camera traps, six baited cages with two more due to be placed, and more than 80 personnel in four specialised teams tracking pugmarks, scat and movement.
- Teams aim to tranquilise and capture the animal for veterinary assessment but forest staff are authorised to shoot only if the tiger charges and poses an immediate threat to human life.
- Officials have not yet obtained a clear image to match the animal to the NTCA M-STrIPEs database or assess its health from footage and say there may be more than one tiger using the area.
- Local estate work has been suspended, residents are advised to stay indoors at night, and post-capture options such as transfer to Vandalur zoo or treatment at the Pethikuttai transit centre will be decided after veterinary examination and approval from the Chief Wildlife Warden.