The tiger that mauled and killed a rubber-tapping worker near Kalikavu nearly two months ago was trapped early Sunday morning, according to the forest department.
A senior forest official confirmed that the big cat was captured in one of the cages placed around the area where the May 15 attack occurred. Since then, intensive tracking efforts had been underway, with three 20-member rapid response teams, each equipped with tranquiliser guns and a veterinarian, scouring the forest.
The tiger was previously identified as a Silent Valley National Park inhabitant, based on camera trap images. In the extensive operation, forest teams used a combination of thermal drones, camera traps, and even kumki elephants—trained captive tuskers—during the search.
The victim, 45-year-old Gafoor, was attacked and dragged into the forest while heading to a rubber plantation with a colleague. The incident had caused significant panic in the region and prompted urgent wildlife containment measures.