Forest Department Launches Recapture Operation for Tiger Straying Near Vandiperiyar

Forest department officials in Kerala have intensified efforts to recapture a five-year-old tiger that has been repeatedly entering human habitations near Vandiperiyar since late April 2026, approximately two weeks after its release into Periyar Tiger Reserve. The tiger has killed seven heads of cattle over two weeks and has been tracked moving through multiple locations including tea plantations in Thankamala, Granby, Sathram, Vallakkadavu, and Arnakkal estates. The recapture operation faces significant obstacles, including abandoned and overgrown tea plantations that provide cover for the animal, heavy rain, and misty weather that hamper drone surveillance. Forest officials have deployed three cages, 20 camera traps, VHF antennas, and drones for tracking, while conducting round-the-clock patrols. The Divisional Forest Officer noted that the tiger's cattle-hunting behavior, though unusual for healthy tigers, is difficult to reverse once established, and identified abandoned estates as a systemic problem requiring coordination with district administration.